One of the headline Champions League last sixteen ties takes place between two of the betting favourites to win this season’s European Cup. It had been anticipated that both Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain would win their respective groups before being paired with runners-up and paving the way for a last eight spot.
However, while Bayern were able to completely dominate a section that also included Internazionale and Barcelona, PSG were thwarted by a spirited Benfica side who were able to hold the French champions to two 1-1 draws and then finish top of the pile thanks to the number of away goals that were scored.
That means Christophe Galtier’s side entertain Bayern at the Parc des Princes before heading to the Allianz Arena. It’s far from ideal for Paris Saint-Germain who are the betting outsiders to qualify for the last eight, although they have strong attacking weaponry in the form of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi.
Mbappe was reportedly unhappy at PSG earlier in the season despite previously signing a lucrative contract, with the Ligue 1 side having exited the Champions League at the last sixteen phase last season when taking a 2-0 aggregate lead over eventual winners Real Madrid only to suffer a second leg second-half collapse at the hands of Karim Benzema.