PSG are under pressure to perform after losing 2-1 to Borussia Dortmund in Germany but do have the talent to turn this Champions League tie around. The French aristocrats looked dangerous for long periods of the second half at Westfalenstadion and are usually much stronger on home turf.
RB Leipzig look to be holding all the aces against an injury-hit Tottenham ahead of the second leg of their Champions League tie in Germany. Only Timo Werner’s 58th-minute penalty separated these sides in London, but the Bundesliga outfit looked much the better team for large parts of that contest.
Atlanta will take a 4-1 advantage to Valencia for the second leg of their Champions League tie and have vowed to adopt a positive approach at the Mestalla. The first encounter between these sides in Italy was incredibly open, with both teams having lots more chances to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
All eyes will be on Wayne Rooney when Derby take on his former club Manchester United in an intriguing FA Cup fifth-round tie at Pride Park. The Red Devils’ record goalscorer has done well for the Rams since joining from DC United in January and is sure to be fired up for this contest.
Having completed a hat-trick of EFL Cup triumphs, Manchester City should move closer towards back-to-back FA Cup victories when visiting Sheffield Wednesday. Garry Monk’s Owls are a mid-table Championship outfit who have lost five of their last seven fixtures at Hillsborough in that division.
Arsenal’s surprise Europa League exit may prove unfortunate for Monday night’s FA Cup fifth-round opponents Portsmouth at Fratton Park. The Gunners should now be able to prioritise this competition more and are expected to prove too strong for the League One outfit in this televised tie.
Manchester United survived a tricky Europa League test when visiting Club Brugge and are fancied to finish the job off at Old Trafford. The Red Devils started shakily in Belgium after making six changes, but looked the better team in the second half of that contest and have more scope for improvement.
Wolves look assured of a place in the last 16 of the Europa League after crushing Espanyol 4-0 at Molineux and may be content to cruise through the second leg. Their opponents are far more focused on a La Liga relegation battle than battling back in this tie, so this has the makings of a low-key contest.
Celtic left Denmark with mixed feelings following last week’s 1-1 Europa League draw with FC Copenhagen but are fancied to ease through in Glasgow. The Hoops had chances to establish a strong first-leg lead at Parken Stadion, but ended up needing a superb penalty save to return home on level terms.
Ajax have a mountain to climb in their Europa League last-32 tie after putting in a lacklustre effort when beaten 2-0 by Getafe at Coliseum Alfonso Perez. The Spanish outfit enjoyed a bit of good fortune with a deflected second goal on the stroke of full-time, but were good value for their victory overall.
LASK Linz look worthy favourites to reach the last 16 of the Europa League after returning from the Netherlands on level terms against AZ Alkmaar. The Austrian outfit impressed at Linzer Stadion during the group stage, beating Sporting Lisbon, PSV Eindhoven and Rosenborg by an aggregate score of 8-1.
With the Champions League having resumed this month, we’ve taken a look at the data from recent seasons to predict what will happen in this year’s knockout stages.
Rangers staged a fantastic fightback when beating Braga 3-2 in the first leg of their Europa League tie but we fear it may ultimately prove in vain. Their opponents have been in outstanding form in Portugal and looked an excellent team at times at Ibrox, despite being hampered by a poor playing surface.
Newcastle’s winter break has been shortened by a frustrating FA Cup replay and we fear Oxford could feel the backlash at Kassam Stadium. The Magpies wasted numerous opportunities to settle this tie at St James’ Park but Steve Bruce still seems committed to chasing a good run in the competition.