Leg 2 of the Champions League Knockout Round Playoffs will be played this week over Tuesday and Wednesday, so let’s break down the games and make our top Champions League predictions.
AC Milan vs Feyenoord Prediction
Only Barcelona’s games saw more goals than the 4.9 of Feyenoord’s during the League Phase. They scored 18, allowed 21, went 8-0 to Over 1.5, 8–0 to over 2.5 and even 7-1 to Over 3.5 totals. This placed them 19th at 4–1-3 with 13 points. AC Milan were 13th, 5–0-3 with 15 points.
Feyenoord’s UCL games saw scores of 4-0, 3-2, 3-1, 3-1, 3-3, 4-2, 3–0 and 6-1. It was lower scoring last week though where they edged out Milan 1-0 in Leg 1 despite only putting 2 shots on target. Igor Paixao’s 3rd minute stood up as the winner in the end. Feyenoord lost 3 straight before winning 3-0 and 1–0 heading into this weekend’s game with NAC Breda. It’s a rare game they don’t score having done so in 18/20 before the weekend.
Milan lost for a rare time in Leg 1. In 24 overall games, they’ve only lost 4 games and have only failed to score 4 times too coming into the weekend. When playing at home like they are here before the Verona game this weekend, they were undefeated in 11 going back to October.
With Milan needing to attack and having the home edge there should be some goals. It may be tight but I expect 2+
- Champions League Predictions: I’d lean to the AC Milan win or Over 1.5 in a parlay
Atalanta vs Club Brugge Prediction
Belgium’s Club Brugge just made it through in the last qualification spot in 24th at 3-2-3 with 11 points and only 7 goals scored, easily the fewest of any qualified team. Only they and Juventus (9) had fewer than double-digit goals scored.
Atalanta just missed out on the top 8, being 9th at 4-3-1 with 15 points and dropped down after a 2-2 draw with Barcelona in the final round. They’re only loss was to Real Madrid 3-2.
Brugge took the lead in Belgium last week, before Atalanta drew level and it looked like it would end 1-1, but Brugge got a PK in stoppage time, scored in the 94’ min and won 2-1.
Atalanta, coming into the weekend have been unpredictable with just 1 win in 5 and 3 in 12. They’re always capable of scoring but have only shut out Verona, Strum Graz and Udinese in 14 games prior to their match with Cagliari.
Club Brugge were winless in 5 but then won 1-0 and 2-1 before their weekend action vs Sint-Truiden. Just once in 31 games have they not scored and that was vs Juve in the UCL, and then it was 32 games back the second time vs Dortmund in the UCL. With La Dea’s shaky form we could see that trend continuing and a similar result from Leg 1 with both teams scoring.
- Champions League Predictions: Both Teams to Score
Bayern Munich vs Celtic Prediction
21st Celtic, 3-3-2, travels to 12th Bayern Munich, 5-0-3. In Leg 1 Bayern jumped out to a 2-0 lead before Celtic pulled one back late to win 2-1.
Bayern Munich had a big game with 2nd place Leverkusen this weekend and had just 1 loss 11 games heading into that match where they had scored multiple goals in 9 of them.
Celtic are 1st in their league as well and in 30 games have only 3 times, to Villa, Rangers and then Bayern last week. Their next loss came vs another German opponent back in October during qualifying, losing to Dortmund 7-1. Celtic did beat Leipzig though when playing at home 3-1 as well.
Daizen Maeda’s late goal gave Celtic hope. They’re always scrappy and Bayern don’t always keep clean sheets. I can see a similar result to last week where Bayern win, score 2-3 and maybe Celtic get on the scoresheet.
- Champions League Predictions: Bayern over 1.5
Benfica vs Monaco Prediction
17th Monaco at 4-1-3, scored 13 and allowed 13 and travel to 16th Benfica who scored 16 and allowed 12. Both naturally, each had 13 points. Both averaged over 3 GPG in their matches and were 6-2 to Over 1.5.
Last week Benfica scored in the 48’ minute before Monaco took a red minutes later but at least didn’t concede again in the 1-0 loss.
Benfica, before this weekend had won 8/10, had scored in 11 straight and there had been 2+ goals in 10/11 of their games.
Monaco has been in awful form and couldn’t even find the scoresheet at home last week. Prior to playing Nantes this weekend they had only 5 wins in 17 games and only 3 clean sheets in that time.
They’ll have to attack but may not be in good enough form to win. There should be at least 2 goals and Benfica likely wins.
- Champions League Predictions: Over 1.5
- Parlay Picks: ATA vs CB btts / BM over 1.5 / BEN vs MON over 1.5 (+140)
PSV vs Juventus Prediction
Juventus were just 3-3-2 with 12 points and 20th, and will travel to PSV, 4-2-2, 14th. Juve allowed some of the fewest goals with 7, but then only scored 9 themselves, didn’t score in their final 2 UCL games and were shut out in 3 of the final 4.
But they scored 2 in Leg 1 beating PSV 2-1.
At 2.0 GPG Juve’s games averaged only more than the 1.6 of Bologna and 1.5 of Inter. While PSV, were much more open, averaging 3.5 as they scored 16 and allowed 12.
Coming into the weekend Juve had won 3 straight before a big matchup with Inter on Sunday. They’d also conceded in 5 straight and 10/12, plus had only 7 wins in 19 games so you don’t often know what to get from them.
Before the weekend PSV had only 1 win 4 but had still scored in 12 straight and 43/45.
- Champions League Predictions: Perhaps it’s another BTTS (-170)
PSG vs Brest Prediction
It was a solid League Phase for Brest winning 4/8 games to go 4-1-3, finishing 18th. PSG were just above them in 15th, with the same record and the same amount of points with 13.
PSG went to Brest and routed Brest 3-0 with Vitinha scoring a PK just 21 mins in and Dembele scoring twice more in the 45’ and 66’ mins.
PSG also won 5-2 on February 11. PSG also won 3-1 in September. In 21 all-time meetings PSG has never lost to Brest, while also winning 19 times. While Brest literally never wins, they often keep it interesting having scored in 5/6 meetings.
You could also look to Ousmane Dembele props to score (-155). He scored 3 vs Stuttgart, 3 vs Brest in the 5-2 win, 2 more vs Monaco and then 2 more in Leg 1. Dembele has now scored in 8 straight (15 total). He has 3+ shot attempts in 10 straight, multiple shots on target in 6 straight and at least 1 shot on target in 12 straight. This not counting the weekend.
Overall PSG is undefeated in 17 games, scoring in 16 of those games, multiple goals in 12/17, but then also conceding in 8/10 and 12/17. Their only clean sheet in their past 9 came in the Coupe de France vs lower-level side Le Mans before also shutting out Brest last week.
Overall Brest has won 2 straight and 6/10. They rarely draw with none in 22 games. Only 3 times in 20 games have there not been 2+ goals in their matches.
Unless PSG eases up this should be the same result it always, another PSG win where they score 2 or 3 and Dembele contributes.
- Champions League Predictions: PSG to win and Dembele to score (-123)
Borussia Dortmund vs Sporting Prediction
23rd Sporting, 3–2-3 with 11 points, travels to 10th Dortmund, 5-0-3, 15 points. Sporting went 8-0 to Over 1.5 and Dortmund 7-1.
In Leg 1 Dortmund ran wild in Portugal with Guirassy, GroB and Adeyemi scoring second-half goals in a 3-0 win. Guirassy was tied for the scoring lead in the League Phase and kept scoring in the knockouts.
Dortmund had a rare shutout in that game, their only one in 14 games where the BTTS was 12-2.
The hole may be too big for Sporting. Coming into the weekend they had not won back to back games in 12 games and had only 2 wins in 6. They failed to score in Portugal so it’s harder to bet them to do so on the road. Still they’ll need to attack so BTTS is always on the table. With a 3-0 goal lead Dortmund just need to avoid a 3-goal loss, so I personally don’t want to bet on a team that doesn’t need the win.
- Champions League Predictions: BTTS or Over 1.5
Real Madrid vs Man City Prediction
Both were disappointed in the League Phase with Man City just sneaking in at 22nd at 3-2-3 with 11 points and Real Madrid 11th at 5-0-3 and 15 points.
It was more disappointment for City in Leg 1 going up 1-0, being tied 1-1, again taking the lead in the 80’ minute with Haaland’s 2nd goal of the game from a PK and just when you thought they’d get the win, they imploded again and conceded in the 86’ and 92’ minutes to lose 3-2.
They meet often in this tournament including last year in the quarterfinals where it was 3-3 and 1-1. Both teams have scored in 8 of the past 9 meetings, all in the UCL.
Coming into the weekend Madrid had only lost twice in 18 games , they scored multiple goals in 16/18 and there had been 3+ goals in 16 of those 18 too.
City played Newcastle this weekend. Before that the BTTS & Over 2.5 just kept cashing 6 straight and they’ve only shut out the likes of Leicester, Salford and Ipswich in recent months.
- Champions League Predictions: Both Teams to Score & Over 2.5
- Parlay Picks: DOR vs SPO over 1.5 / RM vs MCI btts & over 2.5 (-117)
Before you make your Champions League predictions, check out the best new customer promo codes from all the top sportsbooks! Want more picks in video form, visit the Shred The Spread YouTube Channel for more!
Ryan Métivier is a seasoned editor, writer and communications professional with years of experience in all fields. When it comes to covering sports, he’s written for numerous outlets and organizations including the OHL, CHL, SportsXpress, Sports Betting Dime, Cleveland.com, MassLive, FanSided and others.
While he’ll always cheer for his hometown Toronto teams, when it comes to betting, his only allegiance is his bankroll. Ryan specializes in global soccer, the NFL and the NHL, but if there is a bet to be made, he’ll make it. As the founder of Shred The Spread, Ryan focuses on combining storylines, trends, analytics and good bankroll management to creating simple bets that make sense.
When not making a case for why both teams will score in an MLS soccer match, he can be found focusing his efforts on fitness, attempting to learn Spanish, cooking or planning his travel adventure.
