David Easson, Jon Driscoll and Gavin Hamilton - UEFA Champions League - Tuesday 5th March
David Easson, Jon Driscoll and Gavin Hamilton - UEFA Champions League - Tuesday 5th March
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Tuesday’s Champions League Betting Preview
Commentator Jon Driscoll and world football expert Gavin Hamilton from SportBusiness assess this week’s European ties as we reach the Round of 16.
Real Sociedad (0) v PSG (2) – Jon Driscoll
I'm disappointed for Real Sociedad, who have run into bad, bad, bad form at a very bad time. They've been knocked out of the Copa del Rey on penalties against Mallorca, they've won one game in nine. I did have a lot of time for them. They were so hard to play against and they could take on anybody, not giving up many chances, but they've disintegrated. They're thrashing around looking for solutions and the solutions are not coming easily. In the first game against PSG, I thought they'd be able to keep it tight. They lost 2-0, which is probably crucial. PSG had a lot of chances in the second half so PSG aren’t a terrible price to go and win away from home. Real Sociedad will have to go for it, have to be more open than they perhaps normally are and so I'm saying that PSG will be able to pick them off and actually win this leg as well.
Bayern Munich (0) v Lazio (1) – Gavin Hamilton
It's been a horrendous season for Bayern by their standards. The long-term problems are behind the scenes with their transfer policy being exposed this season. But Harry Kane is actually in terrific form. People are joking that he’s going the long way round to not win a trophy, but he's in great scoring form. Lazio were compact in the first game, scored the penalty and have something to hold on to but they aren’t in great form, losing 4 of their last 8 in Serie A. They will go there with the lead and try and hold on to it. That puts the onus on Bayern to really go for it and for all their faults they have the firepower and particularly at home in the Champions League they are very strong.
Yes, they're having a terrible season, but this is such an important game for them that I think they will rise the occasion. I think Kane will be the man to take them through to the next round, but I can't see them getting any further in the competition.