The Champions League last-16 second legs get under way this week with Liverpool, Barcelona and PSG in action, but who will make it to the quarter-finals?
Borussia Dortmund vs Sevilla (agg 3-2), Tuesday, 8pm
Erling Haaland scored twice in the first leg and has netted four times since
Team news
Borussia Dortmund’s Giovanni Reyna and Raphael Guerreiro are out, but leading striker Erling Haaland will be fit, coach Edin Terzic said on Monday. However, Jadon Sancho remains sidelined for several weeks.
Sevilla to be confirmed…
What happened last time?
In a thrilling first-leg tie, Sevilla took the lead early through Suso Fernandez but Dortmund rallied with a goal by Mahmoud Dahoud and a Haaland double before half-time at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium. Luuk de Jong scored Sevilla’s late second goal to improve the Spanish team’s chances in the return leg on Tuesday.
The win ended Sevilla’s strong run and put Dortmund back on track after a series of poor results that had left coach Edin Terzic under pressure.
What’s happened since?
Sevilla will need to find more goals if they are to knock Borussia Dortmund out of the Champions League
The defeat has sent Sevilla on a downward spiral, winning just once since against Osasuna in La Liga. They have lost successive games against Barcelona – one knocking them out of the Copa del Rey – before defeat to Elche on Saturday.
In comparison, Dortmund have won three games since their victory in Spain, but were beaten 4-2 by Bayern Munich in Der Klassiker at the weekend. Sevilla will also be concerned that Haaland has scored four more goals since the first leg.
The key stats
- Borussia Dortmund’s only previous home match against Sevilla was in the 2010-11 Europa League group stage, losing 1-0.
- Sevilla have lost three of their last four Champions League matches against German sides, since a 3-0 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach in September 2015.
- Sevilla have never gone through in a European Cup/UEFA Champions League knockout tie after losing the first leg, going out against Real Madrid in 1957-58, Fenerbahce in 2007-08 and Bayern Munich in 2017-18.
Juventus vs Porto (agg 1-2), Tuesday, 8pm
Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo did not have an impact in the first leg
Team news
Juventus captain Giorgio Chiellini and Paulo Dybala will miss Tuesday’s match through injury, while Matthijs de Ligt’s participation is also in doubt. Rodrigo Bentancur tested positive for COVID-19 late last week and will likely miss out while Danilo is suspended.
Porto are expected to be without Chancel Mbemba, while Ivan Marcano is also an injury doubt.
What happened last time?
Mehdi Taremi gave Porto the lead after just 63 seconds when a defensive mix-up from Juventus gifted him an easy finish. Moussa Marega then netted 19 seconds into the second half.
But Federico Chiesa scored what could prove to be a vital away goal for Juventus in the 82nd minute, with Cristiano Ronaldo failing to make an impact. Tuesday’s hosts will need him firing on all cylinders if they are to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for a fourth time in five seasons.
What’s happened since?
Moussa Marega scored against Juventus in the first leg
Juventus are unbeaten in their four games since the first leg. Furthermore, they are also unbeaten in their last 11 games in all competitions at Juventus Stadium, winning 10 of those fixtures. Juventus have scored nine goals combined in their last three home matches, all have which have come since defeat to Porto.
But Porto have proved hard to beat in recent away matches, losing just one of their last 15 games on the road. They have won both away games since the first leg, but have drawn and lost two at home, including a Portuguese Cup exit to Braga.
The key stats
- Juventus have won their two home Champions League matches against Porto, winning 3-1 in October 2001 and 1-0 in March 2017, the latter being the second leg of the last 16 of the 2016-17 tournament.
- FC Porto’s 2-1 victory over Juventus in the first leg was their first ever win over them in European competition in the sixth attempt (D1 L4). Porto have lost their last five away Champions League games in Italy, since a 3-2 win over AC Milan in 1996.
- Juventus have been eliminated from five of their last six UEFA Champions League knockout ties when losing the first leg, with the exception being the 2018-19 last-16 tie against Atletico Madrid (0-2 first leg, 3-0 second leg).
- FC Porto have been eliminated in each of their last three UEFA Champions League knockout ties after winning the first leg, going out versus Arsenal in 2009-10, Málaga in 2012-13 and Bayern Munich in 2014-15.
Liverpool vs RB Leipzig (agg 2-0), Wednesday, 8pm
Liverpool halted a run of three defeats with a win against RB Leipzig in the first leg
Team news
To be confirmed…
What happened last time?
Liverpool broke a run of three straight defeats with their designated away victory at Budapest, where Wednesday’s tie again takes place.
Jurgen Klopp’s side hit their opponents with a quickfire double after half-time with Mohamed Salah (53) and Sadio Mane (58) punishing some inexplicable defending from the Bundesliga side.
The good news for Liverpool is that they have never been eliminated from a European Cup/Champions League knockout tie after winning away from home in the first leg. In addition, the last time they won both legs in the Round of 16 was back in 2008/09 against Real Madrid.
Liverpool lead 2-0 in the Champions League last-16 tie
What’s happened since?
RB Leipzig could not have timed their Champions League round of 16 return leg any better. Leipzig’s 3-0 win at Freiburg at the weekend was their sixth straight league victory, while Liverpool slumped to a club-record extending sixth consecutive home league defeat on Sunday, losing 1-0 to Fulham.
Liverpool have only beaten Premier League basement boys Sheffield United since their first-leg win, losing their three other games, with their two goals against the Blades the only match in which they have managed to score.
The key stats
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- Since his Borussia Dortmund side were beaten by Bayern Munich in the 2012-13 Champions League final, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is unbeaten in his three games against German opponents in the competition (W2 D1), with all three of those fixtures coming in the Round of 16.
- Liverpool will be the third English opponent RB Leipzig have faced away from home in the Champions League since the start of last season (also Spurs and Man Utd), while they suffered their heaviest defeat in European competition against Man Utd at Old Trafford back in October (0-5).
- This will be the 21st time Liverpool have hosted German opposition across all European competitions, while they are unbeaten in the previous 20 (W16 D4), scoring 52 goals and conceding just nine in return.
PSG vs Barcelona (agg 4-1), Wednesday, 8pm
PSG’s Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick against Barcelona in the first leg
Team news
To be confirmed…
What happened last time?
In an incredible first-leg encounter, Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick inspired last season’s Champions League finalists PSG to an emphatic victory.
Lionel Messi gave Barca the lead from the penalty spot after Frenkie de Jong had his heels clipped by Layvin Kurzawa before Mbappe responded five minutes later for the visitors. After the break, Mbappe completed his hat-trick with Moise Kean netting PSG’s third goal in between his team-mate’s second-half strikes.
Lionel Messi was also on the scoresheet at the Nou Camp
It leaves Barca requiring another considerable comeback heading into the second leg on Wednesday, four years on from the sides’ memorable last-16 clash in which the La Liga outfit recovered from a 4-0 first-leg loss in France by winning the second 6-1 at the Nou Camp.
Barcelona are yet to concede a goal away from home in the Champions League this season (three games), but following defeats against Juventus and PSG in their last two games in the competition, face the prospect of losing three in a row in the European Cup/Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.
What’s happened since?
Barcelona are unbeaten since their defeat at the Nou Camp. It was followed by a disappointing draw against Cadiz in La Liga, but they have won all four games since. This run also included a comeback in the Copa del Rey, eventually knocking out Sevilla.
PSG followed their superb Champions League victory with a 2-0 defeat to Monaco in Ligue 1, but have won and kept clean sheets in their last three games, scoring eight goals.
The key stats
Moise Kean nodded home PSG’s third Champions League goal
- PSG have won two of their last three games against Barcelona in the Champions League (L1), as many victories as they managed against the Catalan side in their first eight meetings in the competition (W2 D3 L3).
- In the history of the European Cup/UEFA Champions League, no team has ever progressed from a knockout tie over two legs after losing the first leg at home by a margin of three goals.
- This will be the first UEFA Champions League meeting between PSG and Barcelona at the Parc des Princes since February 2017, when the home side recorded a 4-0 victory. This remains PSG’s biggest margin of victory in a home knockout game in the UEFA Champions League, while it’s also Barcelona’s joint-heaviest defeat in a knockout game away from home in the competition (also 0-4 v Liverpool in May 2019 and v Bayern in April 2013).
- Barcelona have only won one of their last nine away games in the knockout stages of the Champions League (D3 L5), beating Manchester United 1-0 in April 2019. They have scored just three goals in total across these nine games, while failing to score at all in six of them.
Pitch to Post Review: Man City Quadruple a step too far? Bale’s Spurs future and Liverpool’s crisis assessed
Jasper Taylor is joined by Ben Ransom and Dharmesh Sheth to discuss the latest round of Premier League fixtures as Manchester United ended Manchester City’s 21-game unbeaten run on Super Sunday. After a third straight win at the Etihad, what is it about this fixture that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer loves? And what are City’s chances of an unprecedented Quadruple?
After a sixth straight home defeat for Liverpool, beaten by Fulham on Sunday, we ask: could their form do irreparable damage? And there’s praise for a huge statement victory for Scott Parker’s side.
In part three, Sky Sports News’ Paul Gilmour talks all things Spurs in the Regional Review- is Gareth Bale playing for his future at the club? And is Harry Kane the best striker in the world? And in part four, we get Dharmesh and Ben’s performances of the week, including some praise for Luke Shaw.
Let’