Mbappe was given rest before the meeting with Zakharyan
February 13:
- Copenhagen – Manchester City
- “Leipzig” — “Real”
The Champions League returns immediately with matches featuring the main favorites of the tournament. Bookmakers ahead of the playoffs called Pep Guardiola’s team is the main contender for victory this year. Next comes Real Madrid.
Both teams will play their first playoff matches away from home, but the Spaniards’ situation looks noticeably more difficult. Real will play with Leipzig, which is currently fifth in the German championship, and in a parallel match the English club will meet with a modest representative of the Danish championship.
Real Madrid are approaching the match with huge problems in their squad. Over the weekend, the Madrid team defeated Girona, going into the game without their nominal central defenders. All players in this position are now injured, which forces Carlo Ancelotti to experiment and send nominal “defenders” and flank players to the center of defense.
Another big problem before the match was the injury of Real’s best player and top scorer this season, Jude Bellingham. The English midfielder was replaced in the game against Girona due to sprains ankle ligaments. The midfielder will definitely not play in the first match against Leipzig, and also risks missing the return match.
The Manchester club, on the contrary, has solved its problems with its roster. Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne will be ready to play in Copenhagen. The forward had previously missed a month, and the midfielder had been out of action for five months.
The 14th of February:
- PSG – Real Sociedad
- “Lazio” — “Bavaria”
On Valentine’s Day, Russian fans will be treated to the most intriguing match of the 1/8 finals of the current draw. Arsen Zakharyan and his team will play away against Paris Saint-Germain. The most surprising thing is that in this pair it is Real Sociedad that is the winner of its group, and the Parisians entered the playoffs from second place.
It is worth waiting for the Russian midfielder to appear from the first minutes, because in the winter Zakharyan managed to win a place in the starting lineup of the Spanish club. In Paris, they will be ready to play with the strongest squad. PSG beat Lille at the weekend, resting several key players and leaving them on the bench. Even Kylian Mbappe, who first in six years he spent an entire Ligue 1 match on the bench.
In parallel with this meeting, Lazio will host Bayern in Rome. The Germans remain among the favorites to win the Champions League, according to data bookmakers, although they are not in the best shape right now. At the weekend, Thomas Tuchel’s team suffered a heavy defeat, conceding three unanswered goals to Bayer at home. Now the club will have to correct itself after the defeat.
Clash of troubled top clubs
February 20th:
- “Inter” – “Atletico”
- PSV – Borussia
The first matches of the 1/8 finals of the Champions League will be divided into two weeks. The second part of the confrontations will take place on February 20 and 21. This coming Tuesday, the central game will be the confrontation between Inter and Atlético Madrid. Diego Simeone’s team will have to go to Italy without their main scorer, Alvaro Morata. Weekend forward received sprained the collateral ligaments of his knee, leaving him out of action for several weeks.
At the same time, PSV will meet with Borussia Dortmund. The visitors strengthened their squad this winter by signing two players from top English clubs. The team rented Jadon Sancho from Manchester United, who had previously quarreled with the Red Devils head coach. Chelsea defender Jan Matsen was also loaned. Both players immediately joined the starting lineup.
February 21:
- “Porto” – “Arsenal”
- “Napoli” – “Barcelona”
The first matches of the playoffs will end with a bright sign with a confrontation between two former teams of Diego Maradona. Both clubs are approaching the meeting with big problems in their championships. Napoli this season is far from what it was last year, when the team won the Scudetto. The club is in the middle of the standings, and it is not possible to improve the situation even after changing the head coach.
Barcelona has similar problems. The Catalans are ten points behind leaders Real Madrid in La Liga and have only a slim chance of winning the championship. The team will also not be able to count on all of its players. Gavi, Ferran Torres and Joao Felix are still on the injured list.
The return matches of the 1/8 finals of the Champions League will take place from March 5 to 13.