Champions League round of 16 preview: can the out of form English clubs survive in Europe?

The first round of 16 games kicks off on Tuesday and offers us a host of mouth-watering fixtures to enjoy.

We preview the first three below.

PSG V Bayern Munich

The highly anticipated Champions League Round of 16 match between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich takes place on Tuesday night. Going off the quality of the two teams, it promises to be a cracker.

Though PSG have been in somewhat tumultuous form this season, Neymar continues to be in exceptional form when fit and is expected to have one shot on target at odds of 21/10 – which has been boosted to 11/4. The Brazilian has a habit of delivering on the big stage and will be keen to make amends for the final loss to Bayern two years ago.

For those who fancy an early goal, Lionel Messi is priced at 6/1 to score first. The Barcelona legend has been in outstanding form since his transfer to PSG, and he will be eager to make his mark on this match and prove that he still has the qualities required to play at the highest level. If he plays anywhere near as well as he did over the course of the World Cup, Bayern could be in for a tricky night and at 14/1 to score a free kick, the maestro might pull one of his classic performances out of the bag.

When it comes to the match result, PSG are priced at 8/5 to win on the night with Bayern at 6/4. However, it is the German’s that are the favourites to qualify at 8/15. The Bavarian giants won the tournament only three years ago and have been in dominant form this season, but PSG have proven time and time again that they are a match for anyone when they are on their game.

Get the latest football odds here.

AC Milan v Tottenham

Antonio Conte’s side go into this game on a poor run of form, with many fans calling for the Italian’s sacking if things don’t improve.

The one saving grace has been Harry Kane and his scoring ratio that seems to be getting better by the year. If he turns up, this game could go quite well for Tottenham. Unfortunately for the London side the odds aren’t in their favour on Tuesday, with AC Milan the favourites to win at the San Siro at 6/4.

Spurs will have to play on the front foot here if they want to get any kind of result but looking at their style under Conte, it’s unlikely that will be happening, instead looking to sit back with the plan of scoring on the break.

Son Heung-min would be the most likely to capitalise this way and is 7/1 to score first, something Spurs will need to do to quieten the atmosphere at one of Europe’s most iconic stadiums.

A bad result against Leicester could have knocked Spurs’ confidence and with the manager currently on thin ice, it could go either way. AC Milan are 13/5 to score in both halves and 13/2 to score three goals.

Dortmund v Chelsea

This game could end up being slightly more unpredictable than the others. Graham Potter’s side, despite troubles in the league this season, have bought healthily in the January transfer window and look to be slowly gelling. The talent they possess should see them past Wednesday’s opposition, but the side Potter picks will be vital; a lack of cohesion in the team is the most likely component that will supress their potential, at least for now.

The Blues are 19/10 to win on Tuesday, though its Dortmund who are the favourites at 29/20. Dortmund haven’t been amazing in the Bundesliga this season, but their defence remains solid, whilst Chelsea’s poor run of results has seen them drop in the betting going to Signal Iduna Park.

Chelsea’s new players will look to have an impact on the result with, Joao Felix 16/5 to score at anytime after his impressive displays in his first two Premier League games.

Though Dortmund will likely use the yellow wall to their advantage and potentially triumph over Chelsea in this tie, the Blues are the favourites to qualify to the next round at 8/15. Winning the tournament only two years ago, Chelsea know how to get through tough games and may even find a way of getting on the top in the first leg here if they click into gear early enough. It could be a high scoring fixture, with the game 9/4 to feature over 3.5 goals.