Champions League preview: Liverpool to follow up Arsenal win with result in Madrid?

We’ve reached the last eight of the Champions League which means we’re all set for some mouth-watering ties across the next couple of weeks.

The quarter-final first legs take place on Tuesday and Wednesday and we’ve taken a look at the bets worth keeping an eye on in the fixtures involving Premier League sides over the coming days.

Real Madrid v Liverpool

Liverpool come into this one against Real Madrid on Tuesday – a repeat of the 2018 Champions League final – on a real high, having swept aside Arsenal 3-0 at the Emirates on Saturday. While Gunners fans will be the first to admit their team were never at the races, Liverpool turned in a performance that was their strongest for some time, with the likes of Fabinho and Trent Alexander-Arnold shining.

While the Reds are still fighting for their lives to secure a top-four finish after a generally woeful few months, it looks like they might have turned a corner and Champions League glory will surely be their main aim in the closing stages of the season.

Madrid themselves have also turned around their campaign, and after looking way off the pace, are now just three points off the top of La Liga. The hosts, who will be without the injured captain Sergio Ramos, are the slight favourites at 13/8, with Liverpool’s performance at the weekend ensuring they head into the first leg at 17/10 for victory, while the draw is 23/10.

Mohamed Salah has two goals in his last three appearances in all competitions and three in his last three in the Champions League and is available at the enhanced odds of 9/2 to break the deadlock in Madrid in what should be a tense affair. In-form Karim Benzema, who has nine goals in his last seven, is 11/10 to add to that tally here.

Manchester City v Borussia Dortmund  

The quadruple still remains a real possibility for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side as the bandwagon keeps on rolling on. Next up for a team 14 points clear at the top of the Premier League table and one that have picked up 26 wins from their last 27 games is Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Such formidable form ensures Guardiola’s men are the heavy favourites for victory at the Etihad Stadium at odds of 7/20, while, in fact, City are also the favourites to go all the way in the Champions League at 2/1. More music to City fans’ ears will be the fact that Dortmund currently sit 21 points off the top of the Bundesliga in fifth and also lost at the weekend to Eintracht Frankfurt, while they are currently without the injured Jadon Sancho.

However, City’s Champions League struggles once they get to the knockout stages are well known and it was at this stage of the competition last season where they suffered a shock exit at the hands of Lyon. This will give Dortmund (8/1) plenty of hope of recording an upset, as will the ace in their pack – Erling Braut Haaland. The striker is the top scorer in the Champions League this season with 10 goals and is 6/1 to add to that tally by scoring first on Tuesday night.

Porto v Chelsea

Chelsea are the third and final Premier League team still harbouring ambitions of winning the Champions League this season. If this fixture away to Porto on Wednesday had taken place before the international break then there would surely be little doubt of Chelsea securing a result. Yet after Saturday’s 5-2 thrashing at the hands of relegation strugglers West Brom, that has perhaps gone out the window, with Thomas Tuchel’s team all at sea at Stamford Bridge for the first time under his stewardship.

That said, the Blues have arguably been handed the easiest draw available, with Porto the least fancied of the remaining teams to go all the way at 40/1. Despite Saturday’s result, as well as being the away team on Wednesday, Chelsea remain the 4/5 odds-on favourites for the win. Porto, who sit seven points off the top of the Portuguese league table in second, are 4/1, with the draw 12/5.

Check out all the latest football betting odds at William Hill