We have second leg matches in the UEFA Champions League Quarterfinals today as two teams will punch their ticket to the Semifinals this afternoon and two more tomorrow. Two of the teams playing today have massive aggregate leads on their opponent, so the squads down will have to bring everything they've got. Let's get into the matches and breakdown our best bets on the pitch!
Keep in mind, today is the second leg of these matchups. Lines are as sharp as ever, and with some bigger aggregate leads, motivation may be a little one-sided. As always, proceed with caution.
Barcelona is in Germany, and all they have to do is lose by 3 or less to advance. Yet they are still (-105) to win the match, and you can't even find a "To Advance" line listed. There's zero doubt in my mind that Barcelona advances, but I'm not sure about them winning this game. However, the line suggests it will be competitive.
The Spanish visitors will be very conservative, even though that isn't quite their style. There's no reason to get caught on the counter attack, allow two quick goals, and let the German hosts believe they have a chance. Now we know Barcelona put up four goals last match at home, and these teams played to a 3-2 Barcelona win in Dortmund in the league phase part of the competition. However, with the stakes as high as they've been, no one will want to make a crucial mistake.
I don't think the Spaniards will net enough to get over this number, and quite frankly, I don't see Dortmund scoring at all. Give me a boring 90 minutes for Barcelona to advance.
Aston Villa is at home with nothing to lose. They just got pelted by PSG in France, but beat Southhampton 3-0 on the road in preparation this week. Villa is still battling for a UCL spot next year thanks to their EPL standings, but they'll certainly try to keep the dream alive today.
PSG is on the road where they are much more susceptible to the attack. They have not played since beating Villa at home, but they fail to show up against top competition. Sure they beat Liverpool to force PKs and advance to the Quarterfinals, but they lost 1-0 to Munich in Germany and were also shutout 2-0 by Arsenal at the Emirates. At home, I think Villa comes to play and PSG might fumble the bag on the road.
Being down two goals on aggregate, Villa will need to bring their A-game, and I see them being able to net a couple in order to make this interesting. We get a great price for two results that give us a win, and the home team should make that happen.
Nate has been a recreational sports bettor for about 5 years. In that time, he has grown to love the pursuit of winners and sticking it to The Man. Nate loves data and uses his understanding of numbers to help him be a more profitable sports gambler, however he will be the first to tell you this game is about more than just stats.
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