On Monday, the draw for the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals took place in Switzerland.
The legendary Xabi Alonso brought together many famous clubs for the knockout stage. The quarter-final stage will start only on February 13th, but there is already great anticipation for the upcoming matches.
The website "EuroFootball.com" decided to look into the betting odds and assess the chances of all teams to advance. Today we will review the possibilities of the first four pairs, while tomorrow - the second part.
"Basel" - "Manchester City"
The clear favorite of the pair is Manchester City led by Pep Guardiola. "The Citizens" were the team that all clubs wanted to avoid facing in the quarter-finals after they secured the first place in their group. The Swiss champions were unlucky - they got potentially the strongest opponent. Foreign betting companies consider "Manchester City" as absolutely the favorite to advance to the quarterfinals, while "Basel" chances are evaluated with a very high coefficient. It remains to be seen what could happen to the Manchester team in the next two months so they don't stumble against the "Basel" barrier in the quarter-finals.
"EuroFootball.com" prediction - "Manchester City" victory in both matches with at least a two-goal advantage.
"Juventus" - "Tottenham"
If Tottenham had maintained the form they showed last month or when they beat Real Madrid at home, their chances of defeating the Italian champions could be considered good. However, Mauricio Pochettino's team is currently in a downturn and struggling to find their game. Nevertheless, "Spurs" have some serious absences in the team, so the North London team will need to strengthen until the quarter-final stage. The chances for Juventus to advance to the quarterfinals are not rated with the highest coefficient. Juventus' form this season is not impressive either, but they were last season's finalists and once again have the same goal - to triumph in the tournament.
"EuroFootball.com" prediction - the chances of both teams to advance are quite equal. The first match in Turin could decide a lot. If "Spurs" don't hold up there, it will be very difficult to recover in London. There is a 60% chance that "Juve" will continue their European journey.
"Porto" - "Liverpool"
Liverpool was incredible in this season's Champions League tournament - scoring 23 goals in the group stage. Although the "Reds" only achieved three victories, they managed to stay in the first position and face a rather favorable opponent in the quarter-finals. Porto played fluctuating football this season but managed to reach the quarter-finals and will try to cause trouble for Jurgen Klopp's team. According to betting companies, Liverpool's chances to reach the quarterfinals are very high, while the odds for Porto are around 2.90. The Liverpool team is not as powerful in Europe as Real or Barcelona, but they will need to deal with a rival like Porto.
"EuroFootball.com" prediction - a tough battle in Portugal and a secure victory for Liverpool at home. The "Reds" are not as clear favorites as Manchester City against Basel, but they have good chances to advance to the quarterfinals with a two-goal advantage.
PSG - Real Madrid
Undoubtedly, the highlight of the quarterfinal stage. This is perhaps the most interesting pair of this stage, where there are no clear favorites. Both teams were not thrilled with the draw as they have the same goal - to win the tournament. PSG have serious ambitions this season, and not reaching the quarterfinals after acquiring players like Neymar and Kylian Mbappe would be a huge blow. Real Madrid is not showing good form this season, but they still have time to prepare for the quarterfinals. According to the current form, betting companies slightly favor PSG, but "Real" is a two-time consecutive champion. Knowing the character of the Madrid team in such games, there is no doubt they will put up a fight. A lot will depend on other factors in this pair - the number of injured players, fitness levels, and simple motivation.
"EuroFootball.com" prediction - experience against a team craving for victories. Both teams' chances should be equally evaluated - 50-50. Much will depend on the first match in Madrid, but last season we saw that even a four-goal advantage was not enough for PSG to advance to the next stage.
