Free Football Champions League Predictions for Wednesday, February 28th
Qarabag vs Newcastle
The match in Baku kicks off the Wednesday playoff fixtures in the Champions League. At the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium, the "stallions" secured their playoff spot by defeating Eintracht in the seventh round (3:2), but then suffered a humiliating defeat at Anfield against Liverpool (0:6). After these matches, Gurban Gurbanov's team won three matches in the national Premier League and continue their pursuit of the title. However, the team lost the first quarter-final match of the Azerbaijan Cup.
Newcastle, in the final group stage matches, first dealt with PSV (3:0) and then shared points with the reigning champion in Paris (1:1). This was followed by a series of two defeats in the Premier League, as well as an exit at the semi-final stage of the English League Cup. Ahead of the upcoming away match, Eddie Howe's team slightly improved their position by defeating Tottenham in the Premier League (2:1) and then knocking Aston Villa out of the FA Cup (3:1). Both of these last matches were away games, so the upcoming match will be their third away game in eight days. The "Magpies" are the favorites, but it's hard to predict whether Qarabag can challenge them at home or if the visitors will secure a significant victory. In any case, we anticipate that this match will see over 2.5 goals, a total that has been recorded in Newcastle's previous five matches.
Match Prediction for Qarabag vs Newcastle: Over 2.5 Goals
Bodø/Glimt vs Inter
An equally interesting game will take place in Norway, where Bodø/Glimt will battle for victory against Inter. Recall that the Norwegian club drew in Dortmund in the last three rounds (2:2), then defeated Manchester City at home (3:1), and followed up with a stunning comeback victory over Atletico Madrid (2:1) at the "Metropolitano," which allowed Kjetil Knutsen's team to reach the playoffs. The main disadvantage for the hosts is that these three matches were their last to date – the team currently lacks match fitness as the national Superliga concluded back in November last year.
Inter lost two home matches to Liverpool (0:1) and Arsenal (1:3), but in the last round, they won away against Borussia (2:0) and finished tenth in the overall stage. Currently, the "Nerazzurri" are on a six-match winning streak, leading Serie A and have reached the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia. However, we will not bet on a victory for the Milanese in the upcoming game, as Bodø at home is very dangerous, fears no one, and is used to playing in such Scandinavian weather, especially on an artificial pitch. Matches involving the Norwegian club often feature a high number of goals. We expect to see this on Wednesday as well.
Match Prediction for Bodø/Glimt vs Inter: Over 2.5 Goals
Club Brugge vs Atletico
At the "Jan Breydel" stadium, Ivan Leko's team will challenge Diego Simeone's "Colchoneros." Club Brugge defeated Kairat(4:1) and Marseille (3:0), which allowed the team to advance to the playoffs from the 19th position. This was followed by one loss and two wins in the Belgian Pro League, where after 25 rounds, the "black and blues" are in third place, trailing the leader by three points.
Atletico drew with Galatasaray (1:1) in Istanbul, and then lost at home to Bodo/Glimt (1:2), but still secured the 14th position. A series of wins, losses, and draws followed – currently, the "Colchoneros" are very unstable. The team had a brilliant stretch, thrashing Barcelona (4:0) in the Spanish Cup semi-final, but then suffered a heavy defeat away to Rayo Vallecano (0:3) in La Liga. This marked their second consecutive defeat in the championship and their third match without a win, resulting in the club losing the third spot. Therefore, in this game, we believe that both teams will score, as has been the case in the last five Champions League matches involving the Madrid club.
Match Prediction for Brugge vs Atletico: Both Teams to Score (Yes)
Olympiacos vs Bayer
Their recent head-to-head in Piraeus is still fresh in memory: Bayer created chances worth more than two expected goals, but Konstantinos Tzolakis had the "match of his life," making six excellent saves, while Olympiacos scored twice (2:0). Three wins in the final three rounds propelled the "red and whites" into the playoffs – the team secured the 18th position. In the Greek Super League, the last four matches resulted in one win, two draws, and one loss. Therefore, José Luis Mendilibar's team is in second place after 21 rounds, trailing the leader by two points.
The "Pharmacists," after their defeat in Greece, handled Villarreal at home (3:0) and secured their place in the Round of 16, finishing in 16th place. After the setback in Piraeus, Kasper Hjulmand's team won five matches and drew once. Leverkusen reached the semi-finals of the German Cup and are in sixth place in the Bundesliga, three points behind the Champions League zone. In January, Bayer did not look weaker than Olympiacos, they just failed to convert their chances. We believe Hjulmand's main focus will be on the return home match, where Leverkusen is particularly strong, but a draw in Greece would suit them just fine.
