Lucky draw for Bayern and Chelsea
A total of 16 teams from eight different nations are fighting for a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, which will take place between mid-February and mid-March. FC Bayern München is the only German team to make it through to the knockout round.
The Reds were initially due to play Atletico Madrid, but UEFA made a mistake in the curious draw, which meant the draw had to be repeated. FC Bayern then drew FC Salzburg, probably the most exotic team in the last 16 of the top flight. The German record champion’s chances of reaching the quarter-finals are correspondingly good.
There are certainly no easy games ahead for any team, however, as title favourites Manchester City, for example, will have to show all their skills at Portuguese champions Sporting Lisbon, while Atletico Madrid and Manchester United, Inter Milan and Liverpool, and PSG and Real Madrid will face three absolutely top-class duels at eye level. Reason enough for us to compile betting odds and tips on all eight pairings in the Champions League round of 16 on this page.
Salzburg vs. Bayern – 16.02.2022 / 08.03.2022
Already in the 2020/21 season Salzburg and Bayern faced each other in the group stage of the Champions League. After the Reds won the first leg in the city of Mozart with a commanding 6:2, there was also a 3:1 victory at home in the second leg. It could be a similarly high-scoring affair between the two teams again, especially as the FCB were rarely too stable in the 2021/22 season and were repeatedly susceptible to conceding goals.
Overall, Champions League Round of 16 betting tips on the German record champions advancing are pretty much a no-brainer. After all, no one should seriously expect the Nagelsmann team to be eliminated. However, there is not really much value in betting on the Munich team, which is already clearly favoured in the first leg in Austria. A much more sustainable bet is that there will be goals on both sides in the first leg.
Sporting Lisbon vs. Manchester City – 15.02.2022 / 09.03.2022
While it is considered indisputable that Manchester City is currently one of the best teams in Europe, which is why Pep Guardiola’s selection also plays a very supporting role in the Champions League winner 2022 prediction. Nevertheless, the Portuguese champions also have a lot to play for in this clash.
In 2011/12, the two teams faced each other in the last 16 of the Europa League, when Sporting CP prevailed on away goals and knocked the Citizens out of the competition once before. Exactly ten years later, there could now be a revenge, which is highly likely from the bookmakers’ point of view. In the Champions League round of 16, Bet365 offers odds of just 1.05 on the Sky Blues advancing, which is why it is advisable to switch to another market for this clash.
We recommend betting on a maximum of three goals in the first leg at the Estádio José Alvalade XXI in view of the Portuguese side’s generally good defence.
Benfica Lisbon vs. Ajax Amsterdam – 23.02.2022 / 15.03.2022
With regard to the big names in the round of 16, both teams almost look like supposed lightweights. In fact, however, both clubs have won the Champions League in the past, or its predecessor (European Champion Clubs’ Cup) – and have done so several times. A correspondingly notable duel has also emerged here, even if the Dutch are clearly favoured due to their dominant group win with six victories and 20:5 goals.
Although predictions on the progress of the Godenzonen in the Champions League round of 16 are very promising, they also do not bring in the best odds. Bwin offers odds of just 1.25 on Ajax advancing to the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, we think the Portuguese can at least keep the game open at home in the Estádio da Luz and not lose all their chances of reaching the quarter-finals in the first leg. The double chance 1X.
is correspondingly interesting for the match on 23 February 2022.
Chelsea vs. Lille – 22.02.2022 / 16.03.2022
The reigning Champions League winners Chelsea FC did not exactly cover themselves with glory in the preliminary round when they lost the group win in a 3-3 draw in St. Petersburg on matchday six. The Blues, however, were lucky in the subsequent draw. Instead of drawing a dominant group winner like Bayern or Real Madrid, Tuchel’s team drew the supposedly big draw with underdog Lille.
This is also reflected in the betting odds offered for the Blues to advance in the Champions League round of 16. Mybet offers odds of 1.20 for the Londoners to reach the quarter-finals, which underlines the underdog role of the French champions, who won their group in Group G, but curiously won one game less than the Londoners and took two points less.
Nevertheless, the northern French are regarded as defensively strong, as evidenced by the fact that they conceded only four goals in the preliminary round. Because the Blues also rely primarily on defensive stability, we expect a rather low-scoring game at Stamford Bridge, at least in the first leg. Bets on less than 2.5 goals are accordingly high on the list.
Atletico Madrid vs. Manchester United – 23.02.2022 / 15.03.2022
In a highly interesting eye-to-eye clash, the reigning Spanish champions will take on the English record holders. This will be the first time in 30 years that the two have faced each other in a knockout match. Back then, the Rojiblancos eliminated the Red Devils in the second round of the European Cup Winners’ Cup with 4:1 after a first leg and a second leg.
At the moment, however, things are not going quite so well for Diego Simeone’s side, who have just managed to earn their place in the round of the best 16 teams in Group B despite three defeats with only seven points out of a possible 18. Accordingly, betting on the English team’s progress in the Champions League round of 16 is more favourable.
In view of the defensive qualities of the Spaniards, who have been able to unnerve many a highly decorated attack of the European top clubs in the last decade, there should be no goal festival in Madrid, at least in the first leg. We therefore recommend betting on less than 2.5 goals in the first leg.
Villarreal vs. Juventus – 22.02.2022 / 16.03.2022
After a bad first half of the season in the league, neither the reigning Europa League winners Villarreal CF nor the Italian record champions Juventus Turin would qualify for the Champions League again. This fact alone indicates that things have not gone too well for either club in the new season.
At least the Italians were much more convincing in the top flight. Juve suffered a crushing 4-0 defeat at defending champions Chelsea on matchday five. But because the other five group games were all won with 10:2 goals, the Vecchia Signora still managed to win the group. Against this background, the Bianconeri are clear favourites in this round of 16.
In our eyes, there is a lot to be said for a good result in the first leg. The most interesting betting odds in the Champions League round of 16 seem to us to be the “Draw No Bet” market, which also takes the possibility of a draw off the table, which the Italians could certainly live with in case of doubt.
Inter Milan vs. Liverpool – 16.02.2022 / 08.03.2022
Two former overall Champions League winners clash in this Italian-English round of 16 clash. The last time the Nerazzurri and the Reds met in the last 16 was in the 2007/08 season, when Liverpool ran riot with two wins to nil to sweep the Italians out of the competition. Now, Jürgen Klopp’s star team will again be favourites to win the match, having picked up the maximum 18 points in what was supposed to be a group of death.
Nevertheless, the Italian champions should not be written off, even though Inter failed to pick up a single point or score a goal in their two encounters with their only ambitious group opponents Real Madrid in the preliminary round. The first leg at San Siro against LFC could be correspondingly ponderous, which is why we recommend odds of under 2.5 goals in the first leg for this clash in the Champions League last 16.
PSG vs. Real Madrid – 02/15/2022 / 03/09/2022
Neither PSG nor Real Madrid were able to win their national league last summer. At least in the first half of the 2021/22 season, however, they were the absolute measure of all things in league play and celebrated the first-round championship with a clear lead over the competition. Now it is a question of bringing this momentum onto the pitch at international level as well, although the Blancos naturally have much more experience from 13 overall victories in the Champions League.
But it’s not just long-time Real star Sergio Ramos who knows the Galactics inside out. Barca newcomer Messi could also become a factor in this duel, which is nominally one of the biggest treats. Accordingly, this is the most unclear bet on the Champions League round of 16, although we do not agree with the bookmakers’ assessment, who see PSG as having the advantage.
Also because of the cumulative experience of the Spanish record champion, we therefore recommend betting on Real being able to hold their own after the first and second legs. After all, the Merengues were also much stronger in the group stage.
