The knockout phase of the Champions League begins on Tuesday. Eight matches will be played over two days, with each being the first leg of two legs. The second legs will be played next week.
The marquee match of the week will pit 15-time European champion Real Madrid against former Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho and a confident Benfica side on Tuesday. The game is a rematch of one played less than three weeks ago, which Benfica won 4-2 in dramatic fashion.
Like Real Madrid, defending Champions League titleholders Paris Saint-Germain did not earn one of the eight automatic spots in the round of 16. They are scheduled to face Ligue 1 rival Monaco in the first leg on Tuesday.
Elsewhere in the knockout phase, Borussia Dortmund host the equally in-form Atalanta on Tuesday, while last year’s runners-up, Inter Milan, take on Bodo/Glimt on Wednesday. Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet in the Champions League this week. All times Eastern.
Tuesday
Juventus at Galatasaray, 12:45 p.m.
PSG at Monaco, 3 p.m.
Real Madrid at Benfica, 3 p.m.
Atalanta at Borussia Dortmund, 3 p.m.
Tuesday’s schedule features sides that have won three of the last four Champions League titles. PSG lifted the trophy for the first time in club history last year, while Real Madrid won the title in 2022 and ’24. Los Blancos have won the Champions League a record 15 times — eight more than the next-closest club.
But Real Madrid will have to earn their way into the round of 16 by getting past Benfica. On Jan. 28, these sides met in Lisbon in the final match of the league phase. Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin headed in a dramatic goal at the death to give the home side a 4-2 victory that was just enough to sneak Benfica into the knockout stage on goal differential and keep Los Blancos from an automatic spot in the round of 16.
On Monday, thanks to the random draw, the teams meet again in Lisbon, and Mourinho knows Real Madrid will be motivated to reverse the result.
“[Madrid] are wounded,” he stated. “And a wounded king is dangerous.” However, Los Blancos may be without star Kylian Mbappe whose status is uncertain because of a knee injury.
PSG also will be looking for a bit of revenge when they take on Monaco. When these teams last met in November, Monaco blanked PSG, 1-0. But the reigning champions currently lead Ligue 1 in both goals (49) and goal differential (+30). The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, says the average score for this match is PSG 3.7 to Monaco 0.7 and gives a strong A grade to the PSG money line (-188).
SportsLine picks — Model: PSG -188
Meanwhile in Dortmund, the Bundesliga meets Serie A when Borussia Dortmund host Atalanta. Dortmund have netted 21 goals in nine matches since the start of the year. They have won six league games in a row. Atalanta have found the back of the net seven times over their last three matches. They will face a Dortmund side that will be missing keeper Manuel Neuer, who is out for several weeks with a calf injury. The SportsLine Projection Model projects 3.3 total goals and assigns a B grade to Over 2.5.
SportsLine picks — Model: Over 2.5
And in Istanbul, Galatasaray will play arguably the club’s most important match in 12 years when they host Juventus from Serie A. The champions of Turkey, Galatasaray are looking to move a step closer to their first round of 16 appearance since 2013. They will face a Juventus side that will be without striker Jonathan David, who is out with a muscle ailment.
Wednesday
Newcastle at Qarabag, 12:45 p.m.
Bayer Leverkusen at Olympiacos, 3 p.m.
Inter Milan at Bodo/Glimt, 3 p.m.
Atletico Madrid at Club Brugge, 3 p.m.
One win away from lifting the Champions League trophy last year, Inter Milan find themselves in the knockout stage of the tournament again on Wednesday when they take on Bodo/Glimt. Last season, Inter made a remarkable run to the final before suffering a crushing 5-0 defeat at the hands of PSG. This season, they sit atop the Serie A table. Meanwhile, Bodo/Glimt have not begun their domestic season yet, but they are riding the momentum of two big wins: 3-1 over Manchester City on Jan. 20 and 2-1 over Atletico Madrid on Jan. 28.
Unfortunately for Atletico, that result has been common for them recently. Los Rojiblancos have won just two of their last six La Liga matches and have been shut out in their last three. They have dropped to fourth in the La Liga table, 15 points behind Real Madrid. On Wednesday they will face a Club Brugge side that has struggled this season against the top European clubs. In six matches against the teams remaining in the Champions League, Club Brugge have four losses, one win and one draw and have been outscored 16-9. The SportsLine Projection Model says Real Madrid wins on Wednesday and assigns a B grade to Real Madrid money line (-114).
SportsLine pick: Madrid -111 (B grade)
Wednesday’s action begins with Newcastle taking on the Cinderellas of the tournament, Qarabag, in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Atlılar are the first team from the Azerbaijan Premier League to reach the knockout round of the Champions League. They did so by performing well at home: beating Frankfurt and Copenhagen while drawing with Chelsea. But in their last match, they were blown out by Liverpool, 6-0. The SportsLine Projection Model likes Newcastle to win and gives a strong A grade to the Newcastle money line (-246).
SportsLine pick: Newcastle -246
And in Greece, Bayer Leverkusen look to avenge a loss from four weeks ago when they take on Greek champions Olympiacos in Piraeus. On Jan. 20, Olympiacos jumped on Leverkusen with a second-minute goal and added another from top scorer Mehdi Taremi for a 2-0 victory.
