The UEFA Champions League continues this week, with the final four places in the quarter-finals up for grabs. Our soccer expert previews the two games taking place on Tuesday including Arsenal against Porto and Barcelona facing Napoli.

 

300 USDT SPORTSBOOK WELCOME OFFER

 

Arsenal vs Porto (Tuesday 20:00 UTC)

The Emirates Stadium, London hosts a much-anticipated 2nd leg clash between these iconic English and Portuguese clubs. The Gunners find themselves on the back foot after tragically losing the 1st leg in its dying embers. Though both teams roll into the new week on a win, with Porto celebrating a sumptuous 3-0 win away at Portimonense, while Arsenal escaped disaster 2-1 after a gritty exchange with Brentford.

The Red and Whites scoring record this season has been outstanding, and they now find themselves with an incredulous plus 46-goal difference from their 70-goal tally. This record has been significantly bolstered by putting six past West Ham United and five past wayward Burnley without reply before the first leg of their last-16 showdown with Porto. However, this relentless streak couldn't find its way to Portugal as although they dominated with 65% possession, they couldn't breach the opposition's line, shown with zero shots on target, a woeful statistic that they have not achieved in the Champions League since 2011. Arsenal could've well accepted a goalless draw to take back home from the Estadio do Dragao. However, Sergio Conceicao's men were jubilant as Galeno's marvellous long-range curler smashed into the bottom corner. The left winger himself has been essential to the team's efforts this season with 13 goals and 11 assists across all competitions. Handicap - Match - FC Porto +1.5 at 2.21.

Though the storm clouds have not formed for the Londoners yet, as fans awoke last Sunday top of the Premier League table, compliments of scalps over Newcastle United, Sheffield United and Brentford. The Man City, Liverpool and Arsenal three-horse race for the title is far from over. Though there will be nerves abound for this clash, as only once in their past 10 attempts have Arsenal managed to progress in the Champions League after losing the first leg.

Though optimistically, that triumph was against Porto in their 2009-10 campaign, which also remains the most recent occasion that the Gunners reached the quarterfinals of Europe's top competition. Declan Rice is starkly aware of the levity of the battle to come and the importance of the fans, saying after the 1st leg, 'The Emirates is going to be rocking. We feel that when it's like that at our stadium it’s one of the best places in the world to play football, so we'll be ready for it, I’m already looking forward to it and fans get right behind us. We'll need everyone.” Correct Score 1:0 at 7.88.

Dragões themselves will arrive in the English capitol full of gusto with their slim aggregate win in tow, along with a hefty morale boost following an incredible 5-0 destruction of reigning Primeira Liga champions Benfica on March 3rd. The outfit has now garnered ten points from four games, nestling them in 3rd place in clear contention for a spot in next season's European affairs. With nine games left to play, there is still an opportunity to close the gap between 2nd place Benfica and current leaders Sporting Lisbon. Not since the 2012-13 season have the side been eliminated from a UCL last-16 tie after prevailing in the first leg, though fans will be nervous in that Porto have failed to win all of their previous 22 games in England. Further question marks will be raised as Porto has failed to score in their previous three visits to the Emirates Stadium. Half-Time/Full-Time - Draw - Arsenal at 4.17.

The Gunners will be sure to rebound back into the fight with the home fans behind them and will no doubt have learnt their lessons from the 1st leg. However, they'll still be on the back foot, and we can well expect Porto's ambitions to surge wholeheartedly as they seek to continue their solid first-leg record in the competition over their host's poor one - though it will still be a tall order.

1x2 1.225 6.37 13.19

 

LATEST CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ODDS

 

Barcelona vs Napoli (Tuesday 20:00 UTC)

It was all square for these Mediterranean rivals after the first leg with a goal apiece in Naples and it'll be all to play for when these teams meet again at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium. We can expect an electric showdown here from last season's La Liga and Serie A champions, with goals from their leading men on the table. Both sides had mixed results last week, with Barça enjoying victory over future Copa del Rey finalists Mallorca 1-0, while Gli Azzurri missed an opportunity against Torino with the result 1-1.

Ever prevalent in goal-scoring affairs over the years, Robert Lewandowski produced a sublime finish in the 60th minute of the initial encounter, which moves his tally to within seven goals of a century in Europe's premier club competition. Though not to be outshone on his return from the Africa Cup of Nations, the hosts' talisman Victor Osimhen levelled the occasion in the 75th minute to end the affray. Thus, it will be all-square ahead of this week's return game on home soil and the previous results are measured, which means they remain unbeaten in five meetings with the I Partenopei. The Catalan outfit is on the verge of knocking Napoli out of Europe for the third time in five years, to make their first quarter-final appearance since 2020. Correct Score 2:0 at 10.17.

Domestically fans can lament that the title may be slipping away from them this season to rivals Los Blancos, but there is plenty to be optimistic about after their last match in Spain. Victory over Mallorca was achieved by Lamine Yamal's astounding second-half winner in the 73rd minute, and now Barcelona is unbeaten in eight matches and has clean sheets to boot from their last three too. The Barcelona academy player is one to watch over the years to come, as at 16 years he has made the main Spanish international team, is valued at over £50m and is proving invaluable already for Blaugrana. Manager Xavi will have to juggle the roster a little to account for several key omissions for this fixture, with Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Ferran Torres and Raphinha all out with injuries. Total (Corners) - Match Over 10.5 at 2.29.

Napoli travel west burdened by the knowledge that the side has failed to recover from first-leg setbacks in a UEFA competition, having been eliminated the last 11 times they have failed to take a lead into an away leg. Things are also ominous at home in Campania as the defending Serie A champions wallow in the mid-table doldrums with any credible title defence a forgotten dream. and indeed, they are in imminent danger of missing out on European qualification altogether. Interim manager Francesco Calzona will be looking to the likes of Nigerian international Victor Osimhen to give an edge in this fixture once more - the centre-forward currently sits in fifth place of the domestic league's goal-scoring table with an 11-goal tally. Handicap - Match Napoli +0.5 at 1.961.

A stern fixture awaits us here between these two clubs, though many can anticipate the mercurial Barcelona to emerge triumphant. The away fans can take some measure of hope to come in that Napoli have won five of their eight UCL away games since the start of last season - as many as in the previous 21 - so it would be unwise to disregard them altogether.

1x2 1.90 3.76 4.00

 

Champions League - Last 16 Second Leg Fixtures (UTC)

Tuesday 12th March

Arsenal vs Porto (20:00) [0:1]

Barcelona vs Napoli (20:00) [1:1]

 

Wednesday 13th March

Dortmund vs PSV (20:00) [1:1]

Atlético de Madrid vs Inter Milan (20:00) [0:1]

 

**Odds are subject to change. Odds accurate as of 10:00 UTC Tuesday 12th March**

To view more expert sports content and previews, view all our latest articles here.