By Antony Jordan
Last week saw Real Madrid, PSG, Wolfsburg and Benfica book their places in the Quarter Finals of the Champions League and we’ll find out who the other four will be this week. The action begins this Tuesday evening with Man City welcoming Ukrainian side Dynamo Kyiv to The Etihad Stadium with a 3-0 lead and Atlético Madrid facing PSV at the Estadio Vicente Calderón with both sides having failed to score.
Both home teams are favoured by the bookmakers to progress, but will they do so? We preview both of these Tuesday night games with online sportsbook Bet365.com and provide our top Champions League picks.
Manchester City v Dynamo Kyiv: 1.57 – 4.33 – 6.50
Manchester City come into this second leg of their last 16 stage tie with a chance at making history as they have never in their history reached the Quarter Finals of the Champions League and with them having won 3-1 in Ukraine three weeks ago things are certainly looking good for them.
The three away goals that were netted at the NSK Olimpijs’kyj could very well be invaluable as even a 2-0 loss at The Etihad will see them become one of just eight remaining sides that can lift the European Cup this season. They will want to do better than a 2-0 loss on home soil though and Bet365 see them doing so, but can the visitors upset the odds?
Since that loss in front of their own fans Dynamo have moved to the top of the Ukrainian Premier League with back to back wins but their last away defeat coming on English shores as they were beaten 2-1 by Chelsea in November they could be in trouble, and this brought them to 11 losses and two draws in 13 visits to England.
This is especially true as, although they have blown hot and cold this season – especially away on the road – City have looked good for the most part on home soil. They have failed to win just four of their last 17 home games in all competitions and put six goals past Sevilla and Borussia Monchengladbach in their last two home Champions League games we agree with the bookmakers and we fancy the home team to win this one.
However, the away team will not be brushed aside easily and, as such, we see their being goals from both teams in Manchester in what promises to be a thrilling match.
Our best Man City v Dynamo Kyiv bet is back Man City to win and Over 2.5 goals in the match @ 2.25 in the Bet365 Sportsbook!
Atlético Madrid v PSV: 1.30 – 5.50 – 13.00
The second match of the evening sees the teams sitting second in Spain and top of the Dutch Eredivisie at the Vicente Calderón this Tuesday night for the second time in three weeks following a dominant performance by the Spaniards in Eindhoven during a game that produced no goals. Since then Atlético have stepped up a gear and won all of their four La Liga matches, scoring ten goals, conceding one and even defeating Real Madrid who are already in the Quarter Finals of this competition. Can they continue this fine form and live up to their pre-match favourites billing?
Although PSV come into this match having won nine and drawn two of their last 11 away games this volume of success away from home has not translated well to European competition. This unbeaten run away from home looks impressive but ten of the matches have come in domestic competitions, while their only Champions League match saw them draw 0-0 with Manchester United.
They have lost six of their other seven games in this competition since 2008, including suffering defeat away to Atlético in 2008, while their only win came in the third qualifying round against Belgians Zulte-Waregem more than two and a half years ago.
They failed to find the net in two of their three group games, as well as at home in the first leg of this tie, and with the home side having seven clean sheets in their last nine games in all competitions in front of their own fans we cannot see anything but a straightforward victory for Atlético as they move into the Quarter Finals of this competition.
Our top Atlético Madrid v PSV tip is back Atlético to win to nil at odds of 1.72 with Bet365.com.