Chelsea and Bayern Munich had to consider themselves fortunate to avoid one another in the Champions League Round of 16, but they could meet if they are both able to take care of business as expected this Wednesday.
Both teams were held to draws in the opening leg of their Round of 16 matches and while they return home with an opportunity to book their spots in the next round as the favorites to advance, they also both have to be wary about the potential devastation of conceding the away goal. Here is a quick look at Wednesday’s two Champions League games.
Chelsea vs. Paris Saint-Germain – Wednesday, 3:45 p.m. ET
Champions League Odds: Chelsea -110, PSG +326, Draw +246
It’s easy for soccer fans to imagine the rage that manager Jose Mourinho must have felt inside when Edison Cavani scored the equalizer in their 1-1 draw at PSG in the opening leg. Branislav Ivanovic had given the Blues the lead just before the half but it didn’t take long for the host side to score the equalizer in the 54th minute. As a result, PSG managed to preserve their impressive eight-year unbeaten European home record. Now the scene shifts to Stamford Bridge where a scoreless draw will be enough for Mourinho’s side to advance to the quarterfinals.
However, Chelsea would be foolish to play more of a defensive game and risk PSG scoring the deciding goal late. That means bettors should expect Chelsea to come out with the intent of putting this game away early with a couple of goals and then shifting the focus to shutting things down after that. The Blues have been excellent at home all year, winning 11 of 13 English Premier League matches at Stamford Bridge. They have yet to lose there as their only two shortcomings were draws. They have enough offense to solve PSG early and force them to play a much different style game than they would like the rest of the way. The oddsmakers have Chelsea as a slight favorite here but it would be surprising if they didn’t advance. Pick: Chelsea, 2-0
Bayern Munich vs. Shakhtar Donetsk – Wednesday, 3:45 p.m. ET
Champions League Odds: Bayern -701, Shakhtar Donetsk +2031, Draw +700
Bayern wasn’t able to secure the important away goal in the opening leg of their Round of 16 showdown as the Shakhtar midfield and defense consistently frustrated them throughout the night and really made sure to shut things down. Bayern had been reduced to 10 men following Xabi Alonso’s red card with 25 minutes left and the focus shifted to preserving the clean sheet rather than pursuing the lead on aggregate.
It will be interesting to see how both sides approach this game, as Shakhtar will be well rested and looking forward to the chance to upset the German giants in front of their own fans. The problem is their lack of firepower up front and whether or not they can get that crucial away goal that would make the difference. Arjen Robben, Thomas Muller and the rest of the Bayern attack that was frustrated in that opening leg and will be eager to score a measure of redemption. They will have to be patient as Donetsk is likely to use a similar formation that frustrated them.
Overall, Bayern players were handed five yellow cards including the two to Alonso in the opening leg, so they’ll have to keep their wits about them. But if they can keep their composure, they should be able to secure the result they need to advance with a good chance. Once they get first one, the floodgates should open as Shakhtar is forced out of the defensive structure it prefers in a game that ends up looking much different than the opener. Bayern has outscored opponents 40-4 at home this season and that home-field advantage should dictate the pace. Pick: Bayern Munich, 3-0
