THE CHAMPIONS!!!
After 68 days, it is back. The UEFA Champions League is back and we’re heading into the knockout rounds. Now it’s getting interesting. There are just 16 teams left and their journey to be the best team in Europe continues Tuesday and Wednesday. There will be two games this Tuesday and two on Wednesday. Next week, the other eight teams will do the same. Here is who will play on Tuesday.
Paris Saint-Germain (3rd in Ligue 1) vs. Chelsea (1st in EPL)
Where: Parc des Princes in Paris, France
When: 2:00 pregame, 2:45 kickoff on FOX Sports 1 (English) and ESPN Deportes (Spanish)
How they got here: PSG finished 2nd in Group F which consisted of Barcelona, Ajax and APOEL. Chelsea finished 1st in Group G which consisted of Schalke, Sporting Lisbon and Maribor.
PSG and Chelsea is arguably the biggest matchup of the day. Both teams haven’t lost in their league since near the beginning of the calendar year and this is a star studded matchup on both sides. PSG has Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva and David Luiz while Chelsea has Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas and Eden Hazard.
Chelsea will take this game 2-1 because PSG is suffering from injuries. Yohan Cabaye and Marquinhos got injured in their previous game and are likely out for the game. Serge Aurier and Lucas Moura are also injured. That is going to be tough going against an almost completely healthy Chelsea squad that Chelsea will win the game but we’ll see a Zlatan goalazo. At least that’s what I would like to see.
Shakhtar Donetsk (2nd in Ukrainian Premier League) vs. Bayern Munich (1st in Bundesliga)
Where: Arena Lviv in Lviv, Ukraine
When: 2:00 pregame, 2:45 kickoff on FOX Sports 2 (English) and FOX Deportes (Spanish)
How they got here: Shakhtar finished 2nd in Group H which consisted of Porto, Athletic Bilbao and BATE Boris. Bayern finished 1st in Group E which consisted of Manchester City, Roma and CSKA Moscow.
While this is Shakhtar’s best chance at getting a positive result, Bayern Munich is just too strong. Shakhtar isn’t even playing in their actual home as they have to play in Lviv. Their home is the Donbass Arena, which has been a target for the war between Russia and Ukraine. The stadium is currently damaged as a result and is unsafe to play in.
With players like Manuel Neuer, Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery and Philipp Lahm among others on hand to play, this game could be a blowout. I see Bayern putting this away early and will win 2-0.
