Elite European football is finally back as the Champions League returns on Friday night.
With at least three of the ties still looking too close to call, it’s set to be a dramatic week on the continent – and you can follow the conclusion of this year’s tournament with Marathonbet’s 0% margin* offer on the Champions League this summer.
As the competition heats up, we’ve picked out our best Champions League betting picks for all four of this week’s Round of 16 ties…
Champions League Betting Preview & Best Bets
7th August 2020, 20:00
JUVENTUS VS LYON >>>
Maurizio Sarri defied his critics to guide Juventus to yet another Serie A title, but the jury is still out on whether he’s the right fit to lead the Italian giants into another golden era on the European stage.
Juve need to step up their game here with their French visitors holding a 1-0 lead as they head to the Allianz Stadium.
Sarri opted to rest Cristiano Ronaldo against Roma on the final day in order to unleash his veteran talisman here, and the Portuguese ace will once again be charged with dragging the home side into the quarter-finals. Juventus have recent form in turning round a first-leg deficit, knocking out Atletico Madrid with a 3-0 win on home soil last year despite losing the reverse fixture 2-0.
Lyon haven’t been helped by Ligue 1’s extended hiatus, but at least bring some recent match sharpness to this fixture after taking Paris St Germain all the way to penalties in the Coupe de la Ligue final.
The French side are bidding to reach a first Champions League quarter-final in over a decade but will need to show significant improvement on the road to qualify here. 10 away defeats ultimately saw them finish only 7th in the curtailed 2019/20 Ligue 1 table.
That poor form on their travels should give Juve plenty of room for optimism as they aim to turn the tie around.
Best Bet: Juventus to win 3-1 @ 43/4 >>>
MANCHESTER CITY VS REAL MADRID >>>
The tie of the round looks to be at the Etihad on Friday night as Man City look to continue their European charge by sending 13-time champions Real Madrid packing from the competition. Pep Guardiola’s side pulled off a late miracle in Madrid when these two sides met in the first leg back in February.
Late goals from Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne saw them leave the Bernabéu with a priceless 2-1 win, and Pep’s side first task will be to stop the La Liga champions scoring to switch momentum in their favour here.
Zinedine Zidane’s side proved relentless in the league after the restart, winning all 10 of their league games en route to the title before a final day 2-2 draw with Leganés. That run was built on professionalism rather than pure star power, with Real scoring no more than two goals per game in all nine of their last league games.
If Man City can build on their lead with an early breakthrough at the Etihad, Madrid will need to rediscover a free-flowing style to go alongside their new-found substance to advance to the last eight. The first 20 minutes look to be key here.
Best Bet: Both teams to score and Man City to win @ 39/20 >>>
8th August 2020, 20:00
BARCELONA VS NAPOLI >>>
Barca and Napoli resume rivalries on Sunday night with this tie on a knife-edge after a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture. This could be Quique Setién’s last stand as Barca boss. The former Betis man has looked out of his depth at the helm of the Spanish giants at times since arriving at the start of the year but could find redemption by guiding Barca to a first European title since 2015.
His side finished a hefty five points behind rivals Real Madrid in the race for the Spanish title, and rumours of a rift with star man Lionel Messi hardly hint at a happy camp heading into this make-or-break fixture.
Barca did bank a precious away goal in the first leg, but have looked suspect in defence for some time, shipping 38 goals in La Liga this season. That was more than eighth place Getafe. Napoli should be bold and put that leaky defence to the test as they look to nick a famous result at the Nou Camp.
Best Bet: Napoli to win or draw @ 71/50 >>>
BAYERN MUNICH VS CHELSEA >>>
Frank Lampard’s frustrating end to the season looks set to continue as he heads to the Allianz Arena taking on what looks to be mission impossible.
The Blues slumped to a 3-0 defeat in the first leg and effectively need a miracle to extend their stay in this competition, with Lampard’s task further complicated by injuries to Christian Pulisic and Pedro in the FA Cup Final.
Bayern could be on the brink of securing a rare treble after already scooping the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal and have warmed up for this game with a 1-0 friendly win over Marseille.
The Premier League side need to find some Liverpool vs Barcelona levels of inspiration to avoid a respectable first campaign for Lampard ending on a sour note. However, with Bayern steamrollering all before them in the Bundesliga, Chelsea’s only hope could be a rusty start from their German hosts after almost a month off from competitive action.
Best Bet: Chelsea to win the first half and Bayern to be winning at full time @ 39/2 >>>
Odds correct at time of writing but may be subject to change.
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