With places in the last 16 up for grabs, UEFA Champions League action returns on Wednesday with four play-off second legs to look forward to across the continent.
Borussia Dortmund host Sporting CP in the opening fixture of the evening at 5.45pm before three 8pm matches get underway, with Manchester City heading to Real Madrid, Brest visiting Ligue 1 rivals Paris St-Germain and Juventus taking on PSV in Eindhoven.
- DRAW & BOTH TEAMS SCORE IN REAL MADRID VS MANCHESTER CITY
- BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE IN BORUSSIA DORTMUND VS SPORTING
- PARIS ST-GERMAIN & BOTH TEAMS SCORE VS BREST
- JUVENTUS TO BEAT PSV EINDHOVEN
Real Madrid vs Manchester City
Two late goals gave Real Madrid a stunning 3-2 victory over Manchester City at the Etihad last week and a similar outcome could be in the offing at the Bernabeu on Wednesday.
That enthralling contest a week ago was symptomatic of this fixture which has seen both teams get on the scoresheet in eight of the last nine meetings.
One of European football's giants will get dumped out of the competition this week but they won't go quietly and this contest in the Spanish capital could become another thrilling affair.
Neither side have been on top of their game this term but Real often save their best for this competition, while the Champions League offers City their best chance of winning an elite prize this season with their Premier League title defence in tatters.
Pep Guardiola's side have to win this match if they are to prolong their stay in this tournament but history suggests the advantage lies with the reigning European champions.
Madrid have progressed from 37 of their 39 knockout ties when winning the first leg which underlines the task that awaits City in the Bernabeu.
City did beat Newcastle 4-0 at the weekend, but it is hard to be too bullish about an away win as Real always seem to find a way to come out on top, so backing a draw in which both teams score looks the best bet.
DRAW & BOTH TEAMS SCORE
Borussia Dortmund vs Sporting
Borussia Dortmund have had a miserable campaign but last season's Champions League runners-up have shown signs of improvement in recent weeks and the 3-0 win over Sporting CP was arguably their best result of the campaign.
However, new boss Niko Kovac has lost two of his three games since taking charge and Saturday's 2-0 defeat to second-bottom Bochum in the Bundesliga was a new low for the Yellow & Blacks.
Perhaps they had this tie on their minds but they will need to pick themselves up quickly if they want to stay in this competition.
A 3-0 lead should be healthy enough, but having won just one of their last seven matches on home soil, they can't take anything for granted, although the poor form of Sporting is also in the German side's favour.
Sporting remain top of their Portuguese Primeira Liga but they are a shadow of the side who started the campaign under Ruben Amorim, with the wheels having come off alarmingly since his exit to Manchester United.
The Portuguese giants are already on their second head coach since Amorim left and current boss Rui Borges has struggled to find any consistency in his side, who have won six, drawn six and lost two of their last 14 matches.
That's not a bad record but the Portuguese club are winless in seven of their eight most recent away games, while they have lost seven and drawn three of their past 10 on the road in the Champions League.
So it is hard to have too much faith in either side winning this contest and a bet on both teams scoring looks a better option.
Sporting will have to go for broke sooner rather than later and that could lead to an open affair with goals expected at both ends.
BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE
Paris St-Germain vs Brest
Paris St-Germain, as expected, are dominating the French league - they top Ligue 1 by 10 points from Marseille - and they are in a strong position in this tie, holding a 3-0 advantage from the first leg.
It is hard to see Brest getting back in contention in this fixture but there is scope for expecting them to get on the scoresheet in the return leg at the Parc des Princes.
Last week's shutout was the first time Brest have failed to score in seven meetings with their illustrious rivals and recent clashes have certainly been lively.
Both teams have scored in six of the last seven meetings, while five of that sequence have featured at least four goals.
Things may not be so action-packed this time around as PSG look to shut up shop, but backing a home win in which both teams score could be the best way to a winning wager.
PARIS ST-GERMAIN & BOTH TEAMS SCORE
PSV vs Juventus
Juventus won 2-1 when hosting PSV in Turin last week and they look a solid bet to finish the job with a victory in Eindhoven on Wednesday.
Juve are far off the side they once were but there have been signs of better things to come recently and they head into this decider on an impressive four-match winning streak.
The most recent of those was a 1-0 win over Italian champions Inter at the weekend and their form is in contrast to the Dutch giants, who have won just one of their last five fixtures in all competitions.
PSV have lost both meetings with the Old Lady this season, going down 2-1 and 3-1, but they will need to win this fixture to have any chance of progressing to the last 16 and that could leave them vulnerable to their in-form visitors.
Juve are unlikely to force matters but they could pick off PSV, who will have to chase the game at some point, and an away looks the best value bet in this encounter.
JUVENTUS TO WIN
