Champions League Quarterfinal Preview 4-7-21

FC Porto v. Chelsea

Porto stunned the footballing world when they eliminated Juventus in the Round of 16. The upset propelled Porto to the next round despite a rather underwhelming domestic campaign in Portugal. Porto is led by its veteran defender Pepe who had a fantastic performance in the win over Juve. The boys from Portugal will play in a traditional 4-4-2 today and will rely on a strike partnership led by Moussa Marega when it comes to scoring goals. Chelsea suffered a brutal 5-2 defeat against dreadful West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League this past weekend. The Blues lost defender Thiago Silva to a red card in the first half and never quite recovered. Other than that loss Chelsea had been playing fantastic football under Thomas Tuchel and looked to be a favorite to advance deep in the Champions League. Chelsea is the bigger club with considerably better players and that makes them a big favorite today. However, they play a defensive style, as does Porto, and goals could be hard to come by for the Blues at the neutral site in Seville.

The Bet: Under 2.5 Total Goals

Prediction: FC Porto 0-1 Chelsea

Bayern Munich v. Paris Saint-Germain

Bayern are the current title holders in this competition as they won the final last summer over this exact same PSG squad. Munich has continued their fantastic play by pacing the Bundesliga all season long. The massive German club is a little down at the moment though as their leading goal scorer, Robert Lewandowski, is out injured after picking up a knock on international duty with Poland. PSG enters this match in a weird place. For the first time in years they are not first in the top French division, Ligue 1, and they are struggling for form at the moment. Neymar Jr has missed multiple games recently due to injury, suspension, and yes, his sister's birthday. The Brazilian star is a top player when on but his lack of playing time recently could hurt PSG’s chances today. Neither team has an especially impressive backline considering their respective transfer budgets and I think that will translate to goals today.

The Bet: Parlay Over 2.5 Total Goals & Both Teams to Score

Prediction: Bayern Munich 2-2 PSG