The first legs of the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League take place this week as eight teams prepare to battle it out for a place in the semi-final, with Liverpool and Manchester City kicking things off against Benfica and Atletico Madrid, respectively, on Tuesday.
The Reds know that a win against their Portuguese opposition will give them a huge advantage heading into the second leg at Anfield next week, while Man City need to produce a strong display against Atletico tonight ahead of a tricky trip to Madrid in eight days time.
And former Liverpool striker Michael Owen has given his verdict ahead of this week's mouth-watering action in another exciting round of fixtures.
Jurgen Klopp’s side face a tough test when they lineup against Benfica on Tuesday night at the Estadio da Luz but will be more than capable of coming away from Portugal with a win should they continue their good form of late, following 10 consecutive Premier League victories.
Another one here would put the Reds in the driving seat ahead of the second leg at Anfield next week, but they will be wary of Benfica’s threat, with the Primeira Liga outfit having already seen off Barcelona in the group stage at home this season, but Owen predicts a comfortable night for his former club.
He told BetVictor : “This should be a good tie for Liverpool. Benfica are a decent side, and that was a brilliant result for them in the last round, knocking out Ajax. They’ve got experience at the back in Vertonghen and Otamendi and striker Darwin Nunez looks a threat. This should be routine for Liverpool though, they’ve had a lot of joy in Portugal in the last couple of years and beat Porto 5-1 earlier this season. I don’t think it will be quite that much, I’m going for a 3-1 win!”
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Elsewhere, Pep Guardiola continues his search for a first Champions League title with Man City - the only trophy he has failed to win at the club - when they host Atletico Madrid at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night, knowing that a win is crucial ahead of the return leg next week.
But Diego Simeone’s side have been one of Europe’s elite forces in recent years and possess a team full of experience and talent and knocked out City’s rivals United in the previous round. However, Owen predicts the hosts to be too strong for the Spaniards.
He told BetVictor : “I’m looking forward to this one, talk about a clash of styles! City are obviously desperate to win this competition and all things considered, this should be a decent draw for them. We all know what we’ll see from Atletico, and they’ll try and stay in this game for as long as possible. I don’t think we’ll see a classic at the Etihad that’s for sure, but City should have too much for them. I’m going for 2-0.”
Liverpool’s second leg against Benfica takes place just eight days after tonight’s game, where they will be hoping to secure their place in the semi-final when they face the Portuguese side at Anfield on Wednesday, April 13.
And the same goes for City, who will travel to Madrid for the second leg of their quarter-final tie with Atletico in eight days time, where they will be hoping to do enough in the first leg to ensure they progress at the Wanda Metropolitano next week.
The other two quarter-final first leg ties take place tomorrow (Apr 6), when Chelsea host Real Madrid in a repeat of last season’s semi-final match-up, while Villarreal will be hoping to cause another shock when they face German champions Bayern Munich at El Madrigal.
