Champions League R16 betting tips & top odds – February 22-23

The UEFA Champions League knockout stage will continue this week, and it appears as though the tournament is wide open. Teams like Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester City will take the pitch during this midweek slate, and considering the title aspirations of those squads, we could see some awesome soccer. Here are our free betting picks for the final set of first-leg matches in the Champions League round of 16.

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Napoli

This season, Napoli have been one of the most dominant teams across Europe. They are running away with the Serie A title and have an 18-point lead over the second-placed team, Inter Milan. While this is the Champions League and not Serie A, we are not worried. Napoli ran through the group stage with five wins from six matches and they simply have more talent than Frankfurt. Guys like Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the Napoli attack have elevated their play to an elite level. Eintracht will struggle to deal with that threat, and although they are at home, we don’t see them creating a bunch on a defense that locked down its UCL group. Take the Italians to continue their season of dreams with a win in Germany.

Liverpool vs Real Madrid

This is a rematch of last year’s Champions League final and it’s likely the most intriguing matchup of this slate. While Liverpool are in the midst of a terrible season, they played well in the UCL group stage and will be expecting to make a deep run. That being said, Real Madrid also will feel like they can make it back to the final. Although neither team is playing as well as last season, Real Madrid are performing at a higher level than the Reds and they should control the possession in this battle. When you factor in Liverpool’s defensive woes this season, it is easy to back the defending champions to grab the win at Anfield.

Red Bull Leipzig vs Manchester City

Is this finally going to be the year when Manchester City hoist the UCL trophy? The competition is wide open this season and City have been one of the more consistent teams. They will have more talent than just about anyone who lines up against them, and while they have bottled some winnable games in years past, the Cityzens should stay composed in this contest. Guys like Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva are playing at an extremely high level and their creativity, paired with Erling Haaland’s finishing, gives City the edge in this contest. Although Leipzig are a solid team, they simply do not have the talent necessary to win this battle.

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