Tuesday night pits the first four teams from the last eight in the first leg of their battle to make it to the semifinal stages of the biggest club competition in the world, where, as evidenced by Borussia Dortmund’s phenomenal run last season, anything is possible. An all-Spanish derby and a repeat of the 1999 final are what’s in store for fans around the world in what is sure to be a great night of football.
Champions League Quarter Finals Odds
Were this game to have come perhaps at any other stage in the history of the Champions League, the clash between Manchester United (11/2 and 6/1 to qualify) and Bayern Munich (1/2 and 1/9 to qualify) at Old Trafford would have had all punters scratching their heads as to the possible outcome of the encounter. This year, however, things will be slightly different. Bayern go to Manchester having already sealed the Bundesliga title with a scarcely believable seven games to spare, and will face a side enduring their worst season since the inception of the Premier League, currently languishing in seventh position on the log, 17 points behind the leaders and with their miserable home form to blame for a large proportion of that gap. The Champions League remains the only chance of salvation for David Moyes’ first season in charge, but they face a major task in front of a dominant Bayern side and, as the odds reflect, head into the tie as rank outsiders.
The night’s other fixture promises to be a more evenly contested affair, as Atletico Madrid (6/1 and 9/4 to qualify) travel to Barcelona 8/15 and 4/11 to qualify). Diego Simeone’s men have been the revelation of European football so far this season, and lead Barcelona at the top of La Liga by one point with just seven games remaining. This Champions League tie comes at a very delicate stage of the season for both teams, and the confidence boost either team will receive after reaching the semis will also play a major role in the run-in to the end of the domestic campaign. With the latest news coming in that top scorer Diego Costa will in all likelihood miss the game due to injury, the balance of the tie shifts slightly in favour of the Catalans, though the Argentinian’s side is solid enough to put up more than the required fight. The vastly greater European experience that Martino’s men enjoy over their opponents should give Barcelona the edge, though.
Visit the official Champions League website to keep up with the latest news and results from the tournament.
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