The first leg of the quarter-final of the Champions League between Benfica and Liverpool will be played at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, between teams that respectively eliminated Ajax and Inter Milan in the previous round. The Lusitanians, coached by Nelson Verissimo, are not having a great season at the national championship. They are third in the Primeira Liga but are a long way behind leaders Porto, and they were defeated 3-2 at Sporting Braga in the previous match. This challenge will be played without the injured Lucas Verissimo and Rodrigo Pinho, while Adel Taarabt is in doubt.
In contrast, Juergen Klopp’s Liverpool, on the other hand, are in full battle for the Premier League title with only one point behind leaders Manchester City. In the last match of the Premier League, they defeated Watford 2-0 at home and thus scored their fourth success in a row across all competitions. The Reds, who are clearly favorites with bookmakers, show up in Portugal with doubts about the condition of Joel Matip, Naby Keita, and Curtis Jones.
Form Guide
Benfica WWDWWL
Benfica will be seeking to improve on their last performance, which ended in a 3-2 defeat to Braga in the Primeira Liga.
In the match, Benfica had 63 percent possession and 11 shots on goal, four of which were on target. Darwin Núñez (74′) and Joo Mário (77′) scored the goals for Benfica. SC Braga had 12 shots on goal, 5 of which were on target. Braga’s goals came from Iuri Medeiros (28′), André Horta (59′), and Vtor Oliveira (79′).
Benfica haven’t been able to stop scoring goals recently, finding the back of the net in each of their previous six games.
During that time, they’ve scored a total of 11 goals while allowing a total of 6.
Liverpool WLWWWW
Liverpool enters this match with a 2-0 Premier League victory against Watford in their most recent match.
In the game, Liverpool had 73 percent possession and 20 shots on goal, three of which were on target.Diogo Jota (22′) and Fabinho (89′) scored goals for Liverpool. Watford, on the other hand, had five shots on goal, two of which were on target.
Liverpool’s defense corps has only conceded one goal in their last six games, thanks to a string of solid performances. During the same time frame, their own assault force scored eight goals.
Injured and suspended
Benfica: (Adel Taarabt, Haris Seferovic, Rodrigo Pinho and Lucas Veríssimo)
Liverpool: (Trent Alexander-Arnold)
Benfica vs Liverpool Predicted XI
Benfica Predicted XI: Vlachodimos; Gilberto, Otamendi, Vertonghen, Grimaldo; Silva, Mario, Weigl, Everton; Nunez, Yaremchuk.
Liverpool City Predicted XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago; Jota, Mane, Diaz.
Prediction
We believe Liverpool has the ability to see a lot of the ball and convert a number of goal-scoring opportunities in this encounter.
Benfica, on the other hand, may struggle to find success in front of the goal, despite being dangerous at times.
Unlike what happened 12 years ago, it seems to us that Liverpool is better equipped to go to the goal already in Portugal. And against a Benfica that has always scored in the last 14 games played at da Luz across all competitions, our prediction is for Liverpool to win by a score of 1-3.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City will face Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid in the first match of the Champions League quarter-finals. The Citizens are favorites according to the bookmakers thanks to the convincing challenge of the round of 16 when they humiliated Sporting CP in Lisbon by winning 5-0 and their strong leadership in the Premier League, where they lead with one point ahead of Liverpool.
Fresh from a 2-0 win at Burnley, City will not be able to count on the injured Ruben Dias and Cole Palmer. Atletico Madrid, on the other hand, had eliminated the other Manchester, United, in the previous round and had won six games in a row in all competitions. In the league, where they will soon hand over the title to their city rivals, they are 12 points behind the leaders, but they dominated Deportivo Alaves 4-1 at home in the last match. In Manchester, they will be without the injured Hector Herrera, while José Gimenez is in doubt.
Form Guide
Manchester City WWDDWW
Manchester City, fresh off a 0-2 Premier League victory over Burnley, will be hoping for a repeat performance.
Manchester City controlled the game with 77 percent possession and 18 shots on goal, six of which were on target.Kevin De Bruyne (5′) and Ilkay Gündoan (25′) scored goals for Manchester City. Burnley, on the other hand, had three shots on goal, one of which was on target.
Manchester City’s defense has worked hard in recent weeks, as evidenced by their recent results. Manchester City have been frugal, with the total number of goals scored at their end in their last six games standing at two.
Atletico Madrid WWWWWW
Atlético Madrid will be coming off a 4-1 La Liga victory over Alaves.
Atlético Madrid controlled the game with 49 percent possession and 12 shots on goal, seven of which were on target. Atletico Madrid scored through Joo. Félix (11′, 82′) and Luis Suárez (75′, 90′) scored for Atletico Madrid. Alaves, on the other hand, had seven shots on goal, one of which was on target. Alaves scored with Gonzalo Escalante (63′).
Atletico Madrid has scored 13 goals in their last half-dozen matches. Atletico Madrid has also scored on each of those occasions. They’ve had three goals deflected into their own net over those games.
Injured and suspended
Manchester City: (Rúben Dias and Hector Herrera)
Atlético Madrid: clean bill of health and no suspension concerns.
Manchester City vs Atletico Madrid Predicted XI
Manchester City Predicted XI: Ederson; Cancelo, Laporte, Stones, Zinchenko; Silva, Rodri, De Bruyne; Mahrez, Foden, Sterling.
Atletico Madrid Predicted XI: Oblak; Savic, Gimenez, Reinildo; Llorente, De Paul, Kondogbia, Koke, Lodi; Griezmann, Felix.
Prediction
Manchester City are favorites, but in view of the return to the Wanda Metropolitano, Pep Guardiola’s men will have to earn a good loaf at home. In our opinion, Manchester City can score a couple of goals against Atletico Madrid, who will find it difficult to get a goal of their own.
As a result, we expect Manchester City to win by a comfortable 2-0 margin after 90 minutes.
Forest Rangers and ZESCO United have played 12 matches since 2015, with Forest Rangers winning six and ZESCO United drawing two.
The teams compete in events such as the Super League and are ranked in the following order:
Super League
Forest Rangers: 35 points, 7 wins, 14 draws, and 7 losses. Total goals scored: 28 goals, with 29 goals conceded.
ZESCO United: 49 total points, 14 winning matches, 7 ties, and 7 losses. Total goals scored: 34 goals, with 21 goals conceded.
A story of confrontations:
Key Points:
Prediction
Forest Rangers has an inexperienced team and will be the clear underdogs in their match against Zesco United. They will need a strong team performance if they are to have a positive outcome. As a result, we believe Zesco United will win by a slender 1-2 margin at full-time.
Nkwazi FC and Red Arrows have played five matches since 2020, with Forest Rangers winning two and ZESCO United winning two, with only one draw.
The teams compete in events such as the Super League and are ranked in the following order:
Super League
Nkwazi FC: 33 points, 9 wins, 6 draws, and 13 losses. Total goals scored: 21 goals, with 25 goals conceded.
Red Arrows: 56 total points, 16 winning matches, 8 ties, and 4 losses. Total goals scored: 39 goals, with 22 goals conceded.
A story of confrontations:
Key Points:
Prediction
When the Red Arrows meet Nkwazi FC, we believe they can win and maybe keep a clean sheet. With Nkwazi FC, that they may struggle to find the back of the net.
As a result, we expect Nkwazi FC to win 2-0 at the end of the game.
The Estadio de la Ceramica is the scene of the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals between Unai Emery’s Villarreal and Julian Nagelsmann’s Bayern Munich. The Spanish “yellows” were underdogs in the eighth final against Juventus, especially in light of the 1-1 draw in the first leg, and instead conquered Allianz Stadium 3-0.
In the league, they are only seventh, and in the last round of La Liga, they collected their second defeat in a row by losing to Levante 2-0. In contrast, Bayern, on the other hand, overwhelmed Red Bull Salzburg at home 7-1 in the second leg of the second round, while in the Bundesliga once again they seem to have no rivals and in the last game they won at Freiburg 4-1.
Form Guide
Villarreal WLWWLL
Villarreal will be seeking a better outcome here after losing 2-0 to Levante in their last encounter in La Liga.
Villarreal had 59 percent possession and 13 shots on goal, two of which were on goal. Levante, on the other hand, had 13 shots on goal, four of which were on target. Levante scored two goals through José Luis Morales (69′ and 90′).
In five of their previous six meetings leading up to this one, a wager on both teams scoring would have been a loser.
Bayern Munich WDWDWW
Bayern Munich will enter this match on the back of a 1-4 Bundesliga 1 win over Freiburg in their most recent match.
In that game, Bayern Munich had 61% possession and 21 attempts on goal, with 10 of them on target. For Bayern Munich, the scorers were Leon Goretzka (58′), Serge Gnabry (73′), Kingsley Coman (82′) and Marcel Sabitzer (96′). At the other end, SC Freiburg made 8 attempts on goal, with 3 of them on target. Nils Petersen (63′) scored for Freiburg.
In their last 6 clashes, Bayern Munich have helped themselves to a total of 18 goals. Bayern Munich have also managed to score on each one of those occasions. During those fixtures, their defenders have conceded four goals.
Injured and suspended
Villarreal: (A. Moreno)
Bayern Munich: clean bill of health and no suspension concerns.
Villarreal vs Bayern Munich Predicted XI
Villarreal Predicted XI: Rulli, Aurier, Albiol, Torres, Estupinan, Chukwueze, Capoue, Parejo, Trigueros, Lo Celso, Danjuma.
Bayern Munich Predicted XI: Neuer, Pavard, Süle, Upamecano, Hernandez, Kimmich, Goretzka, Coman, Müller, Sane, Lewandowski
Prediction
Our choice is the “simplest” one, which is to bet on the strongest team, the team considered the favorite for the next round and among the first candidates for the title. Not very high odds, but high probabilities.
As a result, we expect a competitive game with Bayern Munich leading 1-2 in the end.
Reigning European champions Chelsea, coached by Thomas Tuchel, host Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid in the first leg of the quarter-finals of the Champions League. The Blues, who eliminated Lille with a double success in the round of 16, are third in the Premier League and in the last league match they sensationally lost at home to Brentford, 4-1, thus interrupting a series of six victories in a row.
For the Champions League match, they will not have Ben Chilwell, who is injured, while both Christian Pulisic and Callum Hudson-Odoi are in doubt. Madrid, on the other hand, arrive in this round after defeating Paris Saint-Germain thanks to a superlative 3-1 home win in the second leg. The Merengues are on their way to achieving La Liga and won 2-1 against Celta Vigo in their last league match. Eden Hazard is out with an injury, and Isco is being evaluated.
Form Guide
Chelsea WWWWWL
Chelsea will be hoping for a better result here after losing 1-4 to Brentford in the Premier League last time out.
In the game, Chelsea had 70 percent possession and 21 shots on goal, eight of which were on target. Antonio Rüdiger (48′) scored the goal for Chelsea. Brentford had 17 shots on goal, six of which were on target. Brentford’s goals came from Vitaly Janelt (50′, 60′), Christian Eriksen (54′), and Yoane Wissa (87′).
Chelsea have been on a goal-scoring spree recently, with the Blues scoring in each of their previous six games.
During that time, they have amassed a total of 13 points and given up a total of 6.
Real Madrid WWWWLW
Real Madrid will enter this match on the back of a 1-2 La Liga victory over Celta Vigo in their most recent match.
In that game, Real Madrid had 45 percent possession and 12 shots on goal, six of which were on target. Real Madrid took the lead when Karim Benzema (19′, 69′) scored. Celta de Vigo, on the other hand, had ten shots on goal, four of which were on target. Celta Vigo’s Nolito scored in the 52nd minute.
In the last six games in which Real Madrid has taken to the field, the back of the net has been hit 20 times, resulting in a mean average of 3.33 goals per game. From this total, the opposing teams have managed to get 7 points.
Injured and suspended
Chelsea: (Ben Chilwell)
Real Madrid: (Luka Jovic and Eden Hazard)
Chelsea vs Real Madrid Predicted XI
Chelsea Predicted XI: Mendy; Azpilicueta, Silva, Rudiger; James, Jorginho, Kovacic, Alonso; Ziyech, Havertz, Pulisic.
Real Madrid Predicted XI: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Mendy; Kroos, Casemiro, Modric; Asensio, Benzema, Vinicius Junior.
Prediction
We believe Real Madrid will produce enough chances to score against Chelsea, but it will not be enough to escape a loss.
It has occurred in Real Madrid’s last 5 official matches and both teams are on offensive traction, equipped to try to win on Stamford Bridge ground. It’s riskier, but definitely interesting.
By the time the referee blows the final whistle, we believe Chelsea will have won by a slim 2-1 margin.
Atalanta wants to continue to be protagonists in Europe, and to do so, they will have to be able to get the better of another German club, namely Leipzig. The first leg will be played in Germany, at the Red Bull Arena, and the Nerazzurri are called to a difficult mission, given that Leipzig have not lost at home for over three months. The two teams arrive in different moods because, on the one hand, Tedesco’s team has returned from a great victory at Iduna Park, 1-4 over Borussia Dortmund. On the other hand, Atalanta lost a key match at home against Napoli.
The problems of Gasperini’s team mainly concern the attack, which is no longer as prolific as at the beginning of the season: in fact, only 3 goals have arrived in the last 4 matches of the season. Duvan Zapata’s return could be very positive in this regard. Leipzig qualified automatically after the exclusion of Spartak Moscow from the competition, but up to this point they had done very well in this event, eliminating the Spanish side of Real Sociedad in the previous round. There is no precedent in the past between these two clubs, which will therefore meet for the first time in their history.
Form Guide
RB Leipzig WWDWDW
After defeating Borussia Dortmund 1-4 in Bundesliga, RB Leipzig will be eager for another victory.
In the match, RB Leipzig had 36% possession and 10 shots on goal, five of which were on target. Konrad Laimer (21′, 30′), Christopher Nkunku (58′), and Dani Olmo (86′) were the scorers. Borussia Dortmund had ten shots on goal, two of which were on target. Borussia Dortmund’s Donyell Malen scored in the 84th minute.
As evidenced by their recent results, the RB Leipzig defense has shown a lot of resilience recently. RB Leipzig have offered little to the opposition, resulting in a total of three goals that have gone past their goalkeeper in their last six games.
Atalanta LWDWWL
Following their defeat in their previous Serie A match against Napoli, Atalanta and their travelling supporters will be looking for a better result in this one.
During the game, Atalanta had 56 percent possession and 19 shots on goal, three of which were on target. Roon (58′) was the only one to score. Napoli had six shots on goal, five of which were on target. Napoli scored goals through Lorenzo Insigne (14′), Matteo Politano (37′), and Elif Elmas (81′).
Atalanta has scored six goals in their last six games under Gian Gasperini. During the same time period, they allowed 6 goals to be scored against them.
Injured and suspended
RB Leipzig: (Amadou Haidara, and Yussuf Poulsen)
Atalanta: (Bryan Cabezas, Josip Ilicic, Jérémie Boga and Duván Zapata)
RB Leipzig vs Atalanta Predicted XI
RB Leipzig Predicted XI: Gulácsi; Simakan, Orbán, Gvardiol; Klostermann, Laimer, Olmo, Kampl, Henrichs; André Silva, Nkunku.
Atalanta Predicted XI: Musso; Tolói, Demiral, Palomino; Hateboer, De Roon, Freuler, Zappacosta; Malinovskyi, Koopmeiners, Muriel.
Prediction
In a match like this between two teams playing great football, one can expect many emotions. However, it should be noted that Leipzig comes from excellent defensive tests, while Atalanta lately has often given rise to very blocked matches.
When all is said and done, we believe RB Leipzig will win by a slim 2-1 margin. It looks like it’ll be a good one.
The Europa League’s big favorite for final success at this point is definitely Xavi’s Barcelona, which is playing an extraordinary second half of the season. The Blaugrana have now had great form in La Liga and have absorbed the blow of elimination in the Champions League, descending to perfection in this competition. Having eliminated Napoli and Galatasaray, the Catalans are now facing the obstacle of Eintracht Frankfurt.
Any opponent, however, cannot frighten a team that has won five straight away games, scoring an average of nearly four goals per game. With the arrivals of Aubameyang and Ferran Torres, Barca has solved the offensive problems and manages to realize all the play that it creates in the space of ninety minutes. The Germans play the first test at home, at Deutsche Bank Park. The Germans are also coming off a winning streak, with no defeats in their last seven games.
In the second leg of the round of 16 against Betis, in theory, the defeat came in the 90 minutes of regulation, but in extra time, the equalizer led Eintracht to qualify. In the Bundesliga, the Eagles are not achieving great results: they will probably remain outside of Europe for next year, especially due to the great problems demonstrated in the defensive phase.
Form Guide
Eintracht Frankfurt WWWDDD
In Bundesliga 1, Eintracht Frankfurt is coming off a 0-0 draw with Greuther Furth.
Eintracht Frankfurt had 68 percent possession and 21 shots on goal, 6 of which were on target during the game. Greuther Fürth had four shots on goal, two of which were successful.
As seen by their recent results, the Eintracht Frankfurt defense is performing well. Eintracht Frankfurt have given the opposition very little, with four goals going past their goalkeeper in their last six games.
Barcelona WDWWWW
Barcelona will enter the match on the back of a 1-0 La Liga victory over Sevilla in their most recent match.
In the game, Barcelona had 55% possession and 19 shots on goal, six of which were on target. Barcelona’s only player to score was Pedri (72′). Sevilla had eight shots on goal, three of which were on target.
Barcelona’s “goals against” tally has dropped to two from their previous six matches thanks to a string of solid performances from their defense. During the same time frame, they have scored 13 goals on their own.
Injured and suspended
Eintracht Frankfurt: (Diant Ramaj and Christopher Lenz)
Barcelona: (Sergiño Dest, Luuk de Jong, Nico González, Samuel Umtiti and Dani Alves)
Chelsea vs Real Madrid Predicted XI
Eintracht Frankfurt Predicted XI: Trapp, Tuta, Hasebe, N’Dicka, Knauff, Sow, Jakic, Kostic, Kamada, Lindstrom, Santos Borre.
Barcelona Predicted XI: Ter Stegen; Alves, Araujo, Piqué, Alba; F. De Jong, Busquets, Pedri; Dembélé, Aubameyang, Ferran.
Prediction
Away from the Camp Nou, Barcelona are putting up impressive numbers and it is impossible not to bet on their victory. The Blaugrana have amply demonstrated that they want to get to the bottom of this competition, and to do so, they must also impose themselves on this match.
As a result, we’ve picked a game that will be extremely competitive, with Barcelona winning by a score of 0-1 at the end of 90 minutes.