Welcome to another weekend of live sport broadcast on television and the best live-streaming apps. There’s plenty designed to keep armchair fans busy in the days ahead, including four games from the UEFA Champions League. European football’s favourite club competition returns with the Round of 16 with two games on Tuesday and another pair played on Wednesday. This article focuses on the game in Paris where French Ligue 1 champion PSG hosts Spanish La Liga side Real Sociedad.
The Parisians enjoy home advantage and know their best chance of going through to the next round comes from making it count. PSG will be backed by a sell-out crowd in the French capital, with most respected pundits predicting a simple and convincing home win. Followers of the Champions League know few games follow a script and go as expected at this level, but can PSG win to delight their fans? Keep reading for our preview and predictions on PSG vs Real Sociedad.
PSG finish second
PSG finished second in Champions League Group F behind strong pool winners and German Bundesliga outfit Bayern Munich. The French side posted stats of two wins, two draws, and two defeats, scoring nine goals and conceding eight. Interestingly, PSG were the group’s highest scorers, but they also had the joint-worse defence, conceding as many goals as AC Milan, who finished third and one more than last-placed Newcastle United. They must improve defensively if they are to progress to the next round.
PSG finished winless in their last three Champions League group games, taking just two points from the previous nine available. They are going better in France, where PSG leads Ligue 1 with 50 points on the board, which is already 11 more points than nearest rivals Nice in second, meaning they can focus on getting to the later stages of this tournament. A sizeable gamble in Ligue 1 will give the hosts a slight advantage when playing Real Sociedad, as the squad will be rested and ready to fire.
Sociedad the surprise package
Spanish teams are performing well in the Champions League, with several La Liga representatives winning their groups. That’s exactly what Real Sociedad achieved when finishing in pole position of Group D ahead of runners-up Inter Milan, with Benfica in third place and Red Bull Salzburg occupying fourth, which meant they exited European competition at the earliest opportunity this season.
Bet hereReal Sociedad’s Champions League form in Group D read three wins against three draws, making them one of only a select few that finished the group campaign unbeaten. Will that unblemished record continue into the knockout rounds? The visiting fans certainly hope so but know Sociedad arrives in Paris following a poor run of results with two draws and a defeat in their previous three games. Winning in Paris will take a huge effort from Real Sociedad, and they must plan to progress over two legs, knowing it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
PSG vs Real Sociedad prediction
PSG is the home team with the better recent form of the sides involved. Although they finished second in their group, it was a much more competitive pool than the one Real Sociedad won. This promises to be a hectic and entertaining 90 minutes, with both teams looking to nick a narrow home win to ensure the tie remains live ahead of the return leg in Spain next time.
If PSG plays as well as they have been at home, they have the quality in their squad to progress to the next round. The tie won’t be decided in the French capital, but the locals can put one foot in the next round by winning, scoring a few goals, and keeping a clean sheet. It’s be interesting to see if PSG lives up to the hype.
Champions League odds
The pre-match betting odds on the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 games are available to all 22Bet customers, including odds on this match from Paris. Do you fancy PSG to get the home win fans desire? You can back the locals for victory at 1.68 or try your luck on Real Sociedad, causing an upset at 5.38. The draw will net you 3.90.
In addition to the match winner betting, 22Bet customers can also gamble on several interesting specials. There’s both teams to score, handicap, total goals, first goalscorer, half-time/full-time, and more. Study the stats, find a bet, and gamble using 22Bet.
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