Free Football Champions League Predictions for Tuesday, February 24th
Atletico vs Brugge
Last week, the teams put on a goal-scoring spectacle (3:3), where, in our opinion, the Belgians looked more preferable. They showed character by coming back twice during the match and effectively exploited the vulnerable defense of the "Colchoneros". However, at the "Metropolitano", a different scenario is highly likely. At home, Diego Simeone's team is traditionally strong. Catalan teams can attest to that. In the last La Liga round, Espanyol conceded four goals here (4:2), and earlier in a cup match, Barcelona also experienced this "achievement" (4:0).
Atletico has won 15 of their last 17 home matches, and we believe they won't slip up at such a crucial moment. The crowd will simply overwhelm the visitors. The fate of the "Colchoneros" is in their own hands. The hosts will manage without the injured Pablo Barrios and Nico Gonzalez, but how Brugge will perform without the suspended Raphael Onyedika, who along with Hans Vanaken was pivotal for the team, remains a big question.
Match Prediction for Atletico vs Brugge: Atletico to win with a handicap (-1)
Inter vs Bodo/Glimt
It can't be said that Inter failed in Norway. However, the unfamiliar climate, artificial turf, and rotation by Sebastian Kivu played their part. Federico Dimarco didn't appear on the field at all, even though he is the team's top assistant this season with 13 assists. Now the "Nerazzurri" face the tough task of overturning a two-goal deficit to avoid embarrassment in front of their home crowd.
Inter, who are on the brink of becoming Italian champions, certainly look like huge favorites, but Bodo/Glimt have already shown they are ready for serious away games. In the group stage, Kjetil Knutsen's team scored two goals against Borussia (2:2) and even defeated Atletico in Madrid 2:1. Therefore, we expect a goal from the visitors and, consequently, an exchange of goals, as we have no doubts about the hosts. It's worth noting that the bet on both teams to score (yes) has won in 9 of the last 10 Champions League matches involving the Norwegian team.
Match Prediction for Inter vs Bodo/Glimt: both teams to score (yes)
Newcastle vs Qarabag
Newcastle secured their spot in the Round of 16 in just 45 minutes. That's how long it took the Magpies last week to score five unanswered goals against Qarabag (6:1). The "Steeds" crumbled under the pressing of Eddie Howe's team, conceding chances one after another. Objectively, the upcoming match lacks any tournament significance. The visitors might put up a fight at "St. James' Park", but overturning such a deficit is beyond their capabilities.
Nevertheless, sitting back in defense with such a scoreline in the tie would be wrong. We think Gurban Gurbanov's men will play boldly – they will concede many again, but without scoring a goal from their homeland, football will not leave. We believe that the teams' combined efforts will exceed a total of over 3.5 goals, which has been recorded in 6 of Qarabag's last 7 matches in the Champions League.
Match Prediction for Newcastle vs Qarabag: Total Over 3.5 Goals
Bayer vs Olympiacos
This is already the third head-to-head meeting of the teams this season. The two previous encounters took place at "Karaiskakis" in Greece and ended with mirrored scores. In the group stage, Olympiacos, not least due to some luck, defeated Bayer (2:0), but they couldn't replicate that success in the first leg of the knockout stage. The visitors from Germany executed brilliant combinations and secured victory thanks to a brace from Patrik Schick, which fit into four minutes of the second half. If it weren't for Konstantinos Tzolakis with a couple of fantastic saves, the score could have been even larger.
Last weekend, Kasper Hjulmand's protégés suffered an unexpected defeat to Union (0:1) in another Bundesliga round, but that was in Berlin. At their home "BayArena," the Leverkusen side has already secured four consecutive wins, and we see no objective reasons that would prevent them from achieving a fifth. Olympiacos did not impress at all in Piraeus, so it's hard to imagine how José Luis Mendilibar's team could improve and aim for a comeback.
