The UEFA Champions League returns Mar. 4 with the first legs of round of 16 fixtures. Real Madrid takes on Atlético Madrid in Tuesday's highlight fixture while Arsenal, Aston Villa, Borussia Dortmund and more are in action. Sports Illustrated gives our predictions for the full slate of first leg Champions League fixtures on Tuesday.
UEFA Champions League Predictions: Matchday 3/4
Club Brugge vs. Aston Villa
Prediction: Club Brugge 1-1 Aston Villa
Club Brugge host Aston Villa in the first leg of their round of 16 clash. The Belgian side pulled off an upset victory over Europa League champion Atalanta in the playoff round 5-2 on aggregate. Unai Emery's team returns to action after earning a bye through the league phase. A closely contested first tie ends level with it all to play for at Villa Park.
Real Madrid vs. Atlético Madrid
Prediction: Real Madrid 3-2 Atlético Madrid
Easily the highlight fixture of this round. The Madrid derby takes center stage in UEFA's premier competition. After dispatching Manchester City with relative ease, the reigning champions get a crucial win over a bitter rival with Kylian Mbappé stealing the show.
PSV Eindhoven vs. Arsenal
Prediction: PSV Eindhoven 1-0 Arsenal
One of the most difficult ties to call in the round of 16. On paper, many would take Arsenal to advance. Though, injuries in the attacking department leave should give PSV the belief they can advance. These two sides have met in UEFA competitions the past three seasons across Europa League and Champions League group stage play. The Gunners own a 2-1-1 record in those four games. After eliminating AC Milan, PSV pull off the shock upset taking a goal lead back to Emirates Stadium.
Borussia Dortmund vs. LOSC Lille
Prediction: Borussia Dortmund 2-1 LOSC Lille
Borussia Dortmund handled Sporting CP and now face one of the surprises of the league phase: Lille. The German side host the first leg and should get a crucial victory.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as UEFA Champions League Predictions: Matchday 3/4.
