After nearly two months of waiting, the Champions League finally returns on Tuesday. There are just 16 teams left in the most prestigious club soccer competition in the world, and 15 of those 16 teams are out to keep Real Madrid from winning their fourth straight title. Paris Saint-Germain are one of the favorites to take home the title, even without Neymar. However, PSG have been snake-bit in this competition in recent years and they will try to avoid crashing out early once again when they face a suddenly hot Manchester United side.
The Champions League knockout stage is now underway, and you don’t want to miss any of this action. This game will take place at historic Old Trafford in Manchester, England at 3 p.m. ET on Tuesday, February 12, 2019. It will be televised on TNT.
Champions League Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Manchester United +155
Paris Saint-Germain +171
Draw +259
Over/Under 2 and 2.5
Odds Analysis
Manchester United have been thrilled with their performance under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Solskjaer has piloted the team to wins in nine of their 10 games under his watch, and the one non-win was a draw. They have beat Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur during this stretch, and they have been playing much more open football. They need to do that because they scored just seven goals in six group stage games and lost to both Juventus and Valencia.
PSG managed to come out on top in the group of death, but it wasn’t easy. The Ligue 1 juggernaut could only muster three wins and went 1-2-1 against fellow heavyweights Liverpool and Napoli. They are already 10 points clear in Ligue 1, and their +54 goal differential shows just how better they are than the rest of the league. PSG lost their first league match of the season last weekend with a 2-1 loss to Lyon, but at this point, the only real success is Champions League success.
Key Injuries
Two starters will be out for Manchester United in this match. Antonio Valencia suffered a setback in training, and he will miss the next couple weeks due to injury. Marcos Rojo is nearing a return, but he has yet to be fully cleared and will also be out for a couple weeks longer. Matteo Darmian will also be out for undisclosed reasons.
For a second straight season, Neymar suffered a major injury just before the start of the knockout rounds of the Champions League, and he will miss both legs of this tie. Neymar broke a metatarsal in his foot in a game against Strasbourg last month, and he won’t be able to return until early April. The club recently received word that Marco Verratti would be unavailable too because of a setback while recovering from an ankle injury.
Player to Watch
Kylian Mbappe is one of the top forwards in the game today. He has stepped up without Neymar in the lineup, and he has 18 goals in 16 Ligue 1 matches and three goals in six Champions League matches this year. Mbappe has incredible pace and might be the fastest player in the world at full stride, and he is incredibly dangerous on the first touch. United need to find some way to stop him if they are to win.
Prop Bet – Under 2.5 Goals +121
Manchester United have performed much better than they did at the start of the year by opening up the offense. The club has looked more lively under Solskjaer’s watch, and that has led to success in the Premier League. I think the Red Devils will be more conservative here though considering just how dangerous PSG is when you try to open it up against them.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
PSG are not the huge favorite they once were against United, but they are the better team and will get the win.
Champions League Odds: Paris Saint-Germain 2, Manchester United 0
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
