New Delhi: UEFA Champions League’s play-off stages have produced some top games and the action continues tonight with some of Europe’s finest teams competing for a place in the round of 16. The second leg of play-offs are ahead of us and there’s no doubt that there will be no shortage of drama and excitement. AC Milan will be up against Feyenoord at San Siro, which will be the first game of the night, followed by a set of top tier games where Bayern will be welcoming Celtic at Allianz Arena, Brugge will be travelling to Italy for the second leg against Atalanta and Benfica will be facing Monaco.
We know that these games will be full of excitement and four of these sides will be making it through to the round of 16, but here’s a look at how these sides are shaping and which sides have the advantage and the upper hand that could prove pivotal in their qualification for the next round.
Four games with just one goal between the teams on aggregate ⚽#UCL pic.twitter.com/cBINfANCrV
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 18, 2025
Can AC Milan turn the tables against Feyenoord at San Siro?
One of the shocking results from the play-offs was Feyenoord’s incredible victory over the seven-time Champions League winners, AC Milan at De Kuip stadium. It was Igor Paixao’s early goal in the third minute of the game that decided the first leg of this clash as Milan looked lost for ideas throughout the game. Despite having a total of 12 shots on goal, Milan failed to score a single goal as the Rotterdam side edged them 1-0. It was a rather awkward return for Feyenoord’s former goal machine Santiago Gimenez, who had a rather underwhelming performance with just 24 touches throughout the game.
However, we can’t doubt Milan’s abilities despite the fact that they are far from their best. San Siro is a place where npot many can survive the atmosphere and the unreal support from the loyal Milan fans. It will be interesting to see how the game would shape up, but it also looks likely that Milan might just get the job done with their amazing firepower upfront.
Trip to Bayern might be the end of the road for Celtic
Celtic were brave and showed great character against Bayern Munich in the first leg, but a late goal from Daizen Maeda could only cut the goal deficit to one, after Michael Olise and Harry Kane put Bayern 2-0 up before the hour mark. Despite putting up a fight at home, it looks less likely that Celtic would be progressing through to the rounf of 16, as it is never easy to beat the Bavarian giants at their own ground, Allianz Arena.
The German giants have had a mixed Champions League campaign, where they have shown their vulnerabilities and Celtic need to capitalise on those areas where Bayern can provide them with opportunities to pounce on. But Vincent Kompany’s side would certainly not let the Scottish side take control, and they might just be the ones progressing through to the next round.
Atalanta need a comeback against Brugge
Atalanta were left disappointed in the last few minutes against Club Brugge after conceding a late penalty which was converted by Gustaf Nilsson. However, there’s still hope for the Italian side who have had a terrific season despite struggling in the previous few games. Gasperini’s side will be welcoming the Belgian side at the Gewiss stadium and will be ooking to get the job done. Their firepower upfront woud be the main key to this contest as theri main man Mateo Retegui could do some major damage upfront.
Their squad has the talent and abilities to make it through to the latter stages of this year’s competition. It is fair to say that the gap between the two sides isn’t a big one, which makes Club Brugge’s situation highly velnerable considering the fact that the Italians are the clear favourites to make it through to the round of 16.
Benfica and Monaco fight for the dark horses title
Both the sides have done a great job in making it this far and it will be interesting to see which one of these two underdogs will make it through to the round of 16. Monaco’s perfect start to the campaign took a massive hit after they lost consecutive games during the league phases that eventually costed them a direct qualification and to make matters worse, Benfica managed to edge past them in the firs leg where the Portuguese side completely dominated them in every department. However, much to Benfica’s frustrations, they only managed to score once even after their 23 shots on target, which is a big disappointment.
It is likely that the Portuguese side will manage to make it into the round of 16, despite the fact that it will be an away fixture in the second leg. Considering Monaco’s performance in Portugal, it looks less likely that they will produce any sort of threat whatsoever. There is hope though, as the French side are fresh off from scoring seven against Nantes in the league, where Mika Biereth acored a fantastic hat-trick, which will give the fans some hope against Benfica.
The second leg of Champions League play-offs is ahead of us and here’s a look at how things are shaping up and what are the chances of teams qualifying for round of 16 tonight. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
