Champions League: Two and a half top matches and a special affair

It has been eight months since Chelsea surprisingly outclassed Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the final of the Club World Cup. Now the defending champions have the chance for revenge in the Champions League. As in the previous year, the French side had to take a detour via the play-offs, while reigning Conference League winners Chelsea finished sixth in the league phase and progressed directly to the round of 16.

Nevertheless, there is a lot to be said for the Parisians, at least in the first leg. Luis Enrique's team suffered a surprising and rare home defeat on Friday. However, hopeful Ousmane Dembélé made his comeback after recovering from a calf injury in the 3-1 defeat against Monaco with Swiss players Philipp Köhn and Denis Zakaria. Another aspect that speaks in favor of the French champions is England's weakness away from home. The Blues have only won once away from home in this Champions League campaign.

A European classic in Madrid

Another clash between two European heavyweights will take place in Madrid, where Manchester City will meet Real - as they have done so often in the past. There have been 15 matches between these two teams in the last 14 years, with the English side winning the last meeting in the league phase in December 2-1.

Real under pressure

Difficult days for Alvaro Arbeloa

In the past four seasons, Real and City have always met in the knockout round of the Champions League. The record winners from the Spanish capital have prevailed three times - including last year, when they met in the play-offs.

The starting position now appears to be open, with form and the personnel situation favoring the English side. While superstar Kylian Mbappé has been missing for two weeks due to knee problems, Pep Guardiola should be able to count on the services of Erling Haaland again. The Norwegian was recently rested in the Cup.

An unexpected clash north of the Arctic Circle

Bayer Leverkusen have a difficult task ahead of them with Arsenal. The Premier League leaders finished the league phase with eight wins from eight games, beating Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, among others. Conceding just four goals is also a record. The sixth-placed team in the Bundesliga proved that they can hold their own against top English clubs with a 2-0 win at Manchester City in the league phase. Before that, however, they suffered a heavy 2:7 defeat at home to PSG. Kasper Hjulmand's team will have to show the "English face" on Wednesday if they are to hold their own against Arsenal.

North of the Arctic Circle, it will be a duel that nobody had predicted before the season. Sporting's direct qualification for the round of 16 was already surprising. However, Bodö/Glimt's progression to the knockout phase of the Champions League is a sensation that continued with their victory over Inter Milan in the play-offs. Nobody would be surprised by now that the Norwegians beat the Portuguese side. The first leg in front of a home crowd will be decisive for the team from the far north. No less than Inter Milan and Manchester City were recently defeated on the artificial turf at the Aspmyra Stadium. Sporting Lisbon have therefore been warned.