The Uefa Champions League Round of 16 resumes in midweek and @Olimp_SA have a preview and betting tips for the second leg matches between Bayern Munich and Lazio and Real Madrid and RB Leipzig
Champions League Round of 16 Second Leg Preview
Champions League action is back this week with the first quarter-finals set to be decided over Tuesday and Wednesday!
Bayern Munich return to the Allianz Arena trailing by 1 goal against Lazio. The expectations were high for the Bavarians after breezing through Group A, but a single penalty from Ciro Immobile left the German giants empty-handed at Stadio Olimpico. Although still the favourites, Bayern did little to successfully prepare for the second leg, as they`ve lost 3-2 to Bochum, won 2-1 against Leipzig, and go into the game on the back of a 2-2 draw against Freiburg. With the Champions League the remaining hope of silverware this season, the pressure will be on Bayern to perform in front of the home fans, where they`ve gone 13 games unbeaten in this competition, winning 10 of those games.
Shocking many with a victory against Bayern, Lazio endured a rocky road heading into the second leg. The Rome outfit lost 3 of their last 4 Serie A games, all after the first leg, losing twice consecutively before the trip to Munich. With the Serie A title now out of sight, Lazio have their hopes set on the Champions League and Coppa Italia. Sarri`s men also tend to be shaky on their Champions League travels, as they lost 2 of their 3 away games in the group stages. Their last visit to the Allianz Arena ended in a 2-1 defeat in 2021, and considering their poor run of form it is hard to see them withstand the Munich pressure. Although neither of the sides shows great confidence, it is still difficult to see Bayern go out of the Champions League in front of the home fans. Considering Lazio`s poor form on the road, we anticipate Bayern Munich to win, and a goal-packed affair with over 2.5 goals.
Real Madrid returns to the Santiago Bernabéu in the Champions League with a 1-0 first-leg advantage over Leipzig. The Madridistas have enjoyed a successful season so far, sitting 1st in the La Liga with a 7-point gap, but the Champions League glory is what the club is used to. Still, Madrid has not been necessarily dominant since their victory in Leipzig, drawing 2 La Liga fixtures and winning 1, although many will argue they beat Valencia with a winning goal going in during arguably an early whistle. They will certainly go into the game with some frustration to let out, and Santiago Bernabéu is a venue that is yet to be broken in both La Liga and the Champions League this season. Ancelotti`s side has scored a whooping 8 goals in just 3 home games in the Champions League this season, and with the return of Jude Bellingham the Leipzig defence is likely in for a difficult evening on Wednesday.
RB Leipzig bounced back from the first-leg defeat with a 2-0 win over M`Gladbach, went on to lose 2-1 to Bayern, and now goes into the second-leg bout on the back of a 4-1 victory over Bochum. With the Bundesliga now a highly unlikely, if not impossible prospect, the pressure is on the Red Bulls to claim the continental glory. However, their away form this season does them no favours here, as they`ve won just 5 of their 12 games on the road in the Bundesliga but did win 2 of their 3 away games in the Champions League and lost 3-2 to City. Their last trip to Santiago Bernabéu was a failure back in 2022, as they left Spain empty-handed following a 2-0 defeat. Still, they have enough firepower to ask Madrid questions, especially with Madrid`s leaky backline. However, ultimately Real Madrid is a force that is very difficult to get past in the Champions League and we don`t see Leipzig as the side to do it this season. We anticipate this to be a busy fixture and for both teams to score, but ultimately Real Madrid to win.
Bet on all the Champions League games here!
Note, odds are correct at the time of writing, but are subject to change.
