The predictions for the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16: matchday 11/3

The round of 16 of the 2025/26 Champions League are already underway. This Tuesday the first four first legs were played in which we saw many goals, 17 in total.

“This article was originally published in SI FC“

Atlético de Madrid showed no mercy against Tottenham, whom they defeated 5-2 at the Metropolitano, while Bayern Munich crushed Atalanta 1-6 in Bergamo.

The other two matches were more even. FC Barcelona could not get past a draw against Newcastle, so the tie will be resolved at the Camp Nou, while Galatasaray won by a narrow 1-0 against Liverpool.

And today it will be the turn of the eight remaining teams that are looking for a good result to face the second leg. Real Madrid and Manchester City, who already faced each other in the league phase, are involved in what is possibly the toughest and most even match of these round of 16 matches. The current champion, PSG, will receive a difficult rival in Chelsea at the Parc des Princes.

Arsenal, which along with Bayern is the main favorite to win this Champions League, faces Bayer in Leverkusen. And the fourth round of these round of 16 will be the one that faces Bodo/Glimt, who has already given more than one surprise in this tournament, against Sporting de Portugal.

Below are Sports Illustrated’s predictions for today’s Wednesday.

Bayer Leverkusen vs Arsenal

Start time: 12:45 PM US (East), 11:45 AM MEX, 6:45 PM ESP

Arsenal could not have asked for a better result in the knockout stage draw, as their perfect performance, finishing the group stage in first position, has been rewarded.

The Gunners will face Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16. This will be the first official meeting between both teams since the 2001/02 season, when the Germans were finalists and ended up being defeated by Real Madrid (and that Zinedine Zidane volley) at Hampden Park.

The German team will need a small miracle to overcome the challenge and reach Budapest, but they have reached the round of 16 for the second consecutive season after defeating Olympiacos in the play-off round. That should be enough to keep fans happy.

Although they are not everyone’s favorites, the Gunners have reached their best level in this competition and will hope to take an advantage into London next week.

Forecast: Bayer Leverkusen 0-2 Arsenal

Bodo/Glimt vs Sporting CP

Start time: 15:00 US (East), 14:00 MEX, 21:00 ESP

Bodo/Glimt is being the great revelation of this Champions League. They have defeated powerful teams like Atlético de Madrid and Manchester City, eliminated Inter Milan, and have a great chance of reaching the quarterfinals.

Sporting de Portugal is the next team in charge of stopping this fluid Norwegian unit that is Bodo.

The Portuguese team may not be a giant, but it exceeded expectations in the league stage, finishing seventh, and has one of the most lethal forwards in Europe at the moment, Luís Suárez.

However, they will not have experienced anything like Bodo, where freezing temperatures and artificial turf set the stage for a difficult away game. Knutsen’s men are a pleasure to watch and Sporting will surely be content to stay in the tie on Wednesday night.

Prediction: Bodo/Glimt 2-1 Sporting CP

PSG vs Chelsea

Start time: 15:00 US (East), 14:00 MEX, 21:00 ESP

Liverpool’s double defeat at this time last year, having been the undefeated leader in the league phase, consolidated the credentials of Paris Saint-Germain who qualified for the round of 16 through the playoff. However, the defending champions look vulnerable ahead of their clash against Chelsea.

Luis Enrique’s team barely beat Monaco in the previous round and were defeated by Sébastien Pocognoli’s team in Ligue 1 at the weekend. PSG are no longer the force they were 12 months ago, and the prolonged 2024/25 campaign appears to be taking its toll.

Chelsea, two-time Champions League winners and synonymous with causing a surprise in this competition, must feel that they have a good chance of ending PSG’s defense soon. The Blues thrashed their next rival 3-0 in last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup final, and the ugly scenes at the end of that game suggest we’re in for two very intense matches.

However, Chelsea is having an irregular campaign and is capable of showing its best and its worst, so an exciting and uncertain match awaits us.

Forecast: PSG 2-1 Chelsea

Real Madrid vs Manchester City

Start time: 15:00 US (East), 14:00 MEX, 21:00 ESP

Without a doubt it is the great tie of these round of 16 and already a modern classic of the Champions League. For the fifth consecutive season, Real Madrid and Manchester City face each other in the decisive rounds of the tournament.

Over the years, these two teams have given us vibrant games. The last game was in the league phase of this season, which ended 1-2 in favor of City, although the last tie fell on the white side, it was in last season’s playoff. However, Arbeloa’s team seems too depleted to compete with Pep Guardiola’s men on this occasion.

City, who overwhelmed Newcastle United at the weekend, must take advantage of the home team’s injury crisis to get the tie back on track at the Bernabéu. Let us remember that Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo, among other players, are absent from Madrid.

Forecast: Real Madrid 1-3 Manchester City

First leg predictions for the round of 16 of the Champions League: 11/3

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