The Champions League Round of 16 has provided plenty of drama over the years but it has also served as a stark reminder that even among the very best clubs in Europe, there is still a significant talent gap.
That was certainly the case a year ago when Real Madrid absolutely humiliated FC Schalke and advanced on a 9-2 aggregate. One year later, Real Madrid will enter the Round of 16 against an FC Schalke side that is arguably weaker than it was a year ago and it could result in another lopsided result. Meanwhile, a pair of outsiders are set to meet as Swiss champions Basel go up against Portuguese power Porto in a match that should be the closer of the two scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. Let’s take a closer look at the first leg of the Round of 16 games scheduled for Wednesday.
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FC Basel vs. FC Porto – Wednesday, 2:45 p.m. ET
Champions League Odds: FC Porto +131, Basel +209, Draw +220
Two teams that were happy just to reach the knockout stage will clash with one another in what could be one of the more intriguing matches of the round. Few expected either team to get this far and now it is guaranteed that one of them will reach the elite eight. As of now, Porto is favored to advance. But Fabian Frei, Luca Zuffi, and Taulant Xhaka comprise a formidable trio and should make things difficult on the Porto defenders.
It’s also important not to overlook Marco Streller’s presence as even now at 33 years old, he is still a very dangerous player that has the potential to make a difference in this game. It will be interesting to see whether Basel takes a more aggressive style or if they decide to sit back a little more and let Porto bring the game to them.
Julen Lopetegui’s side has been very aggressive with Jackson Martinez leading the way up front and there is no doubt they will be looking to get on the board early with the all important away goal. Martinez is the type of player that can make the difference on the biggest stages and if he can find a way to give Porto an early lead, they will be able to make it very difficult on the hosts to mount a comeback. Although this feels like a close matchup, a draw for Basel could be considered a win for them. Pick: FC Porto
FC Schalke 04 vs. Real Madrid – Wednesday, 2:45 p.m. ET
Champions League Odds: Real Madrid -333, Schalke +795, Draw +430
Real Madrid entered last year’s clash with Schalke facing considerable question marks due to their previous struggles on German soil but they answered them in style winning 6-1 on the road before cleaning up the round with a 3-1 win at home. Fast-forward to the present day and Real Madrid has won every single match of the tournament so far. In terms of their Champs League performance, there isn’t much reason to expect a letdown this weekend but they did suffer a rather discouraging 4-0 loss to Atletico this weekend.
Schalke finished second in its group behind Chelsea after going 2-2-2 and its defense has looked absolutely atrocious at times both in the Champions League and at home in the Bundesliga.
The news that James Rodriguez will miss at least two months after having surgery to repair a broken bone in his foot will be welcomed by Schalke fans but they aren’t foolish enough to think that will be the difference. Cristiano Ronaldo is rested and will be ready to go following a two-match ban and Real Madrid has no shortage of weapons with Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema fit and ready to put on a show. This is one of the bigger mismatches in the quarter-finals and anything but the full three points for Real Madrid would be a surprise. Pick: Real Madrid
