UCL: Can the Home Teams Leverage on Their First-Leg Advantage?

In the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League, four teams have already secured qualification to the quarter-finals of the competition. Of the eight left in the competition, only four will progress later this week.

In the UCL later this week, action continues as teams seek to continue their journey in Europe’s premier football competition. One of such teams is Manchester City.

Since their first-leg clash against Borussia Moenchengladbach, Pep Guardiola’s men have played five games. Although they won only four, all of those games produced at least two goals each. In fact, only one of Manchester City’s last 10 games has seen less than two goals scored.

Having scored eight goals in their last two games, they will be looking to consolidate their win from the first-leg of this clash. Their German opponents, on the other hand, have not won any of their last eight games. With six losses on the bounce, it’ll take a miracle to defeat Man. City, even though they won’t be playing their game at the Etihad Stadium.

Manchester City is not the only side going into this week’s UCL games with a first-leg advantage. Another English team that will be the home side with the advantage this week is Chelsea.

Thomas Tuchel’s Blues have yet to lose a game under the tutelage of the German. Unbeaten in their last 13 games, they’ve however only been able to win two of their last four.

Diego Simeone’s men have also won just two of their last four. Their loss against Chelsea at home is the last time they lost a game. And they will be hoping for a comeback when they visit Stamford Bridge later this week.

Speaking of visiting, Atalanta will visit Spain this week to take on Real Madrid.

The Italians, trailing on aggregate by a goal, have their work cut out for them in this clash as they are up against a Los Blancos side that has not lost any of its last eight games.

Bayern Munich have the biggest first-leg advantage going into this week’s UCL games.

The Bavarians defeated Lazio by a 4-1 margin and will enjoy the home advantage in the return leg of this fixture later this week. For Inzaghi’s men, they need to find a way to score four unreplied goals against a side that has scored at least once in all of their last 10 games.