With a place in the last 16 on the line, eight teams will lock horns in the first leg of the Champions League knockout round playoff on Wednesday night.
Serie A leaders Inter, La Liga giants Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and English Premier League’s Newcastle highlight day two’s fixture list.
With the new Champions League format, the top eight teams are already lying in wait for the next eight that will make it past this round after the second legs set for February 24 and 25.
Here we have a look at the four games scheduled for Wednesday night. Our predicted outcomes are based on key match details, head-to-head history and current form.
ALSO READ: UEFA Champions League playoff predictions: Tuesday match previews, current form & h2h
Qarabag vs Newcastle – Wednesday, 8:45PM
The hosts are on a mission to become the first Azerbaijani club to ever beat English opposition when they host Newcastle. Statistically, Qarabag have the lowest chance of making it into the last 16.
Qarabag have won just once in their last six Champions League games, a 3-2 victory against Eintracht Frankfurt. This was followed by a 6-0 demolition of another English club, Liverpool.
Newcastle on the other hand held French giants PSG to a 1-1 draw in their last CL encounter. However, the Magpies have lost three of their last five games in all competitions.
Qarabag have only lost once at home in their last five games and are hoping to cause an upset, to carry an advantage into the second leg next week at St. James’ Park. A win may be out of reach but the home team can be expected to get a goal in the game.
Prediction – Both teams to score – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME!
Bodo/Glimt vs Inter Milan – Wednesday, 11PM
Bodo made their mark in the competition by registering stunning wins against PL heavyweights Manchester City and Atletico Madrid in the league phase. The pair of wins was enough to earn them a 23rd-place finish on goal difference.
The hosts are seeking to make history by becoming the first Norwegian side to win three consecutive CL matches. Another surprise here will see them qualify for the last 16 for the first time in the clubs’ history.
They host a tough outfit in Inter, who have reached the Champions League final twice in the last three years. The Italians missed out on automatic qualification by a single point, despite beating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 on the final matchday.
Inter are favorites here and they come into the game on the back of a six-match winning streak. They have scored 14 goals in that run, meaning that five of their last seven games have produced over 2.5 goals.
Inter are tipped as favorites but we can’t write off Bodo after their heroics in their last CL games. Instead of picking an outright winner, we can bank on goals in the game.
Prediction – Over 2.5 goals – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME!
ALSO READ: Wolves vs Arsenal EPL prediction: Match preview, team news, current form & h2h
Club Brugge vs Atletico Madrid – Wednesday, 11PM
Club Brugge come into the tie as underdogs compared to their opponents, however they are on a better run of form in Europe ahead of this clash. Brugge’s registered back-to-back wins in their last group games to ensure a place in the top 24.
A 4-1 humiliation of Kairat was followed up by an impressive 3-0 demolition of French outfit Marseille. The pair of wins further cemented that last season’s heroics against Atalanta should not be taken lightly for the home team.
They take on an Atletico side who failed to get a win from both their last group games. The Spanish outfit was held 1-1 by Galatasaray before being stunned 2-1 at home by Bodo.
If history is anything to go by, Atleti should be wary of the threat that the hosts possess. The last time these two sides met was in the 2022 edition of the tournament and Club Brugge came out on top – winning 2-0 at home, before playing out to a barren draw in the return leg at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Will Atleti get their revenge in the first leg? This will be a tough test for Diego Simeone’s side and Brugge are poised to register yet another upset in their home tie.
Prediction – Club Brugge to win or draw – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME!
Olympiacos vs Bayer Leverkusen – Wednesday, 11PM
The home team did extremely well to win each of their last three games in the league phase to book a spot in the knockout rounds. This is the first time they have qualified for the knockouts since the 2013/14 season.
They take on a Leverkusen side who have won just two of their last 19 UCL knockout games. The German outfit has to be at their best if they are to beat Greek opposition for the first time since 1993 – losing twice to Olympiakos.
Leverkusen are unbeaten in their last six matches, while Olympiakos come into the game without a win in their last two games. The hosts were 2-0 winners when these sides met in the league phase on January 20.
Mehdi Taremi and Costinha were both on target and will start here as they look to make it back-to-back wins against Leverkusen. The hosts are expected to avoid defeat in the first leg in front of their home fans.
Prediction – Olympiakos to win or draw – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME!
