When to Watch
Welcome to Part 2 of The Game Haus’ Champions League Preview.
The second round of the Champions League Round of 16 Knockouts begin on Wednesday, February 14.
French champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) will host Spanish side Real Sociedad (La Real), while Italian side Lazio will host German giant Bayern Munich, all at 3:00 pm EST.
Paris Saint-Germain and Mbappé
PSG will look to continue their excellent form, as they are unbeaten in their last 16 games. The last time they lost was on November 7, 2023, against A.C. Milan in the Champions League.
Kylian Mbappé did not play in PSG’s most recent match against LOSC Lille, but his coach, Luis Enrique, decided not to play him in order to ensure his fitness for the game against La Real.
Enrique commented on Mbappé’s status in a recent press conference, saying, “He could have played four days ago if it (the game against Lille) was a final, but that was not the case, and it was not worth it to take risks.”
Enrique said further that Mbappé was training with his teammates and was ready to play.
Real Sociedad
“La Real” has struggled in recent months. In their last 16 games, they have won 6, tied 8, and lost twice. Furthermore, they failed to score in six of those games.
As La Real attempts to improve its form, they count on the consistency of players like Mikel Oyarzabal, Takefusa Kubo, and Brais Méndez.
Oyarzabal leads the team in goals in La Liga this season with 8; Kubo is in second with 6. Méndez and Kubo, along with midfielder Mikel Merino, lead the team in assists with 3. Furthermore, Méndez was in great form during the Champions League group stage, registering three goals in 5 appearances.
Lazio and Bayern
Lazio has had a decent run of form in the lead-up to their meeting with Bayern. They have won six of their last ten games, tied one, and lost three.
Their form in the Champions League was more modest. They won three group-stage games and finished second with 10 points behind Atletico Madrid. Furthermore, they only scored seven goals in those six group-stage games while conceding seven.
On the other hand, Bayern fared much better in the group stage, winning five of their six games while scoring 12 goals.
They look to bounce back from a 0-3 loss to Bayer Leverkusen, ending a three-game winning streak in the Bundesliga.
Lazio has had a decent run of form in the lead-up to their meeting with Bayern. They have won six of their last ten games, tied one, and lost three.
Their form in the UCL was more modest. They won three group-stage games and finished second with 10 points behind Atletico Madrid. Furthermore, they only scored seven goals in those six group-stage games while conceding seven.
On the other hand, Bayern fared much better in the group stage, winning five of their six games while scoring 12 goals.
They look to bounce back from a 0-3 loss to Bayer Leverkusen, ending a three-game winning streak in the Bundesliga.
Key Players
Both sides have prolific strikers looking to lead their teams to the quarter-finals. Lazio will lean on Ciro Immobile, who scored three goals in six group games in the UCL. He also leads the team in scoring in Serie A, with six goals in 19 appearances.
Bayern count on Harry Kane to lead the line, as he has scored four goals in six group games in the UCL and 24 in 21 games in the Bundesliga.
Thank you for tuning to our Champions League Preview.
Keep up with The Game Haus further coverage on the Champions League throughout the week.
For coverage on Esports, and other sports, be sure to check out our main page.
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- Source: https://thegamehaus.com/sports/matchday-1-champions-league-preview-part-2/2024/02/14/
