A pair of second place teams kicks off the round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday when English Premier League champion, Manchester City takes on La Liga’s FC Barcelona.
The knockout round matchup is a clash of the titans for two teams who would have been better suited meeting in the semifinals or final. Ironically, the two teams also met last year in the Champions League Round of 16, with Barcelona defeating England’s club 4-1 on aggregate after a two-game elimination.
Oddsmakers have the match a virtual toss up as Manchester City comes in hot after smoking Newcastle 5-0 on Saturday. Barcelona was also in action on Saturday and lost in a shocker at Camp Nou to La Liga minnow, Malaga 1-0.
“Defeats are harmful when you suffer them and they’re hard to get over,” said Barcelona head coach Jose Enrique after the shocking loss. “We have a big challenge in three days and we will try to overcome it.”
Believe it or not, Barcelona is a better team than it was last year and despite being upset on Saturday, they should rebound nicely against Manchester City. Enrique rested many starters in that match, including Javier Mascherano. We think Barcelona concedes an early goal, but wins the match 2-1.
The clash of two of Europe’s powerhouses kicks off at 2:45 EST on Tuesday February 24th and can be watched on Fox Sports One. It can be live streamed online here and if you prefer to watch the game on your phone, you can download the Fox Sports Go app.
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