It's that time of the year. Where we sip on copium for Valentine's Day and pretend we don't care. Where we perform electoral and think it's all-important. Where the Champions League becomes the European Cup again. Knockout football is here. It's no longer Bachelor in Paradise, it's Survivor.
So, the On About Nothing crew make their predictions on who'll go through from the Last 16 ties. Come back in March when we turn out to be wrong.
Borussia Dortmund vs Chelsea
Bolish: Nothing Graham Potter has done gives the clue that he is even remotely close to getting anything meaningful from the Chelsea squad. Dortmund are electric and I think have enough attacking power to put the Blues away.
Wale: The sad thing about Chelsea’s massive expenditure in the January transfer market is that they can only register three of their new signings. And with the team still struggling to come to grasp with Graham Potter’s pattern of play, it’s hard to see how they get past Edin Terzic’s Dortmund; who will be boosted by the return of Sebastian Haller.
Bright: The strugglers tie, as I love to call it, is likely to be the most exciting or the most boring tie of the round. With Chelsea's lack of cohesion, and inability to stick to a game plan. Dortmund’s latest run might just induce enough confidence in me to pick them to nick the tie.
Kunle: At this point, there’s uncertainty about whether Potter will get things right at Chelsea. He did start slow with Brighton too, but the only thing we know is that things are not going well. I fancy Dortmund to nick this, and maybe put an end to Potter’s troubled spell at Stamford Bridge.
PSG vs Bayern Munich
Bolish: A combination of Messi, Messi, Messi, plus, the disharmony in the Bayern dressing room should see PSG go through.
Wale: A tale of two inconsistent teams since the turn of the new year. However, while Bayern are yet to find their bearings under the tutelage of Julian Nagelsmann, PSG have a pragmatic tactician in Christophe Galtier at the helm of affairs. The absence of Mbappe will be crucial in the first leg but the return of the French superstar alongside Messi and Neymar should give the French side the edge in the second leg.
Bright: Bayern's loose grip on the Bundesliga defence is enough evidence of how much of an underwhelming season they've been having. Although they’re with troubles of their own, PSG seems more convincing on their good days and would most likely be the side in the quarter-finals.
Kunle: When the draw was initially, I was dead-cert for PSG to go through. Since, they’ve had a wobbly period, particularly in 2023. Bayern Munich haven’t convinced either, but I see them having enough to go through here.
Milan v Tottenham
Bolish: Battle of the mediocre sides, but I believe having Harry Kane, and better form between two teams will push Spurs through.
Wale: Spurs have mastered the art of flattering to deceive but Milan are in all kinds of trouble. The Italian champions are a completely different side from the young, exciting team we saw last year and their current form suggests this might be a case of them beating themselves rather Tottenham having to do too much.
Bright: Not convinced by either team, but Spurs to go through. Stefano Pioli can't seem to steer his ship in any direction whatsoever. With just one win in their last 10, it is hard to see them overcoming a somewhat resurgent Spurs
Kunle: Neither side have given their fans much to smile about lately, but I find Spurs thoroughly less convincing. They’ve only managed to find a way through in games where they didn’t play well against smaller opposition, and you sense some friction between Antonio Conte and the club will combust. It could go either way, but I see Milan winning this tie.
Frankfurt vs Napoli
Bolish: Napoli. Better squad, team on a mission and an extremely impressive attack.
Wale: Frankfurt might’ve put their early season struggles behind them; as they’re currently in the upper reaches of the table in Germany and playing some exciting football along the way. However, Napoli are top of the Serie A for a reason. And if Luciano Spalletti’s men can translate their league form to Europe (which they’ve done so far), they should have too much in the tank for Oliver Glasner’s team.
Bright: Luciano Spalletti and his boys can't seem to put a foot wrong this season. A disciplined Frankfurt side could pose a threat but Napoli look like they do have the depth and talent to weather the storm.
Kunle: The biggest test for Napoli so far this season was whether they could recover from their first real setback which was defeat to Inter in early January. Not only have they bounced back, they remain seemingly unstoppable. Frankfurt are not a team to be underestimated, but Napoli are unquestionably the best team in Europe right now.
RB Leipzig vs Manchester City
Bolish: Seeing as they might be expelled from the league, Pep probably has enough ammunition to fire up the Man City squad in Europe.
Wale: Marco Rose’s RB Leipzig are as deadly on the break as any other team you can find in Europe but when it comes to playing against Pep Guardiola’s Man City team, there are levels to this. Man City are simply too good and too talented to fall at this hurdle and definitely not to a side with less talent on paper. The English champions are known for beating themselves in Europe rather than others defeating them, and it’s hard to see how Leipzig could force them to do that.
Bright: Although our noisy neighbors might be plying their trade in the championship this summer (wink wink), Man City would be too hot to handle for the German side.
Kunle: Sadly, for Leipzig, their biggest strength is nullified by the fact that Pep Guardiola has built a team for stopping counter-attacks. Man City have been leggy and turgid of late, so this tie might be closer than many expect, but the English champions should still go through.
Club Brugge vs Benfica
Bolish: Benfica to go through. Much experienced, and with a better squad.
Wale: Both teams impressed massively during the group stages; with Club Brugge qualifying from a group that had FC Porto, Leverkusen, and Atletico Madrid. While Benfica finished ahead of PSG and Juventus in their own group. Brugge might have been the biggest surprise of the group stages but I just believe Benfica have too much quality for them, despite the departure of Enzo Fernandez.
Bright: All fairy tales come to an end and I think Club Brugge's convincing second-place finish in a group they were tipped by most to sit at the bottom has been a sensational run.
But a first-leg tie at the Jan Breydel Stadium might prove a disadvantage against an in-form Benfica side with close to nothing to lose.
Kunle: Benfica have looked imperious this season, on both the domestic and continental fronts. The loss of Enzo Fernandez is significant, but not enough to derail them against Brugge.
Inter vs Porto
Bolish: This is a wishful pick, and it’s the hater in me here, but inter don't deserve that spot. Porto to go through.
Wale: The first question is, which Inter side will show up? The team that traveled to the Nou Camp to get a result or the team that looked like a deer in headlights when they faced Bayern. Simone Inzaghi’s side are well coached and probably have enough to get one over FC Porto. However, Sergio Conceicao’s men are no pushovers and their home form might prove crucial in this tie. Whether that would be enough to get them to the quarterfinals remains to be seen. Inter might just nick it.
Bright: With the Scudetto seemly out of reach for Inter, they really need to dig deep against a Porto side who are no pushovers.
Kunle: Surely Inter will make a first Champions League quarter-final in 12 years. Surely.
Liverpool vs Madrid
Bolish: Battle of the out-of-form squads. I take Liverpool by a hair, just because I think they will need the game more, judging by their performance in the league.
Wale: It might be the hatred I have for them, but I just don’t see how Liverpool qualify for the quarter-finals ahead of Real Madrid. Both teams are off-form currently but the Reds have been appalling all season long and the winter break did nothing to change that. Provided the defending champions stay healthy, I don’t see how they fail to get pass Juergen Klopp’s men.
Bright: Funny how this was tipped as the tie of the round prior to world cup. A few weeks later injury-afflicted Liverpool would need to battle a Real Madrid that can't seem to replicate their resounding form from last season. All in All, I think Real would somehow garner enough to go thorough cos obviously the UCL looks like their birthright at this point.
Kunle: If you put out this tie as a draw in August 2022, everyone would play close attention to the two legs. Now, everyone still would, but for different reasons. Both teams are not in the best form of late, but Real Madrid continue to muster that force of will that takes them through no matter what, while Liverpool just look like they’re to be put out of their misery in every game. Real should go through here.
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