Champions League predictions: Knockout play-off round first legs | OneFootball

We're not exactly sure where we stand with this new round of Champions League action. Are we calling them the 'play-offs'? Is this the start of the knockout stages?

Questions linger surrounding the superfluous details, but we should nonetheless be in for some vintage continental action with 16 teams battling it out for the eight remaining spots in the round of 16.

The 2024/25 Champions League bracket will start to take shape by the end of next week, with those who finished between ninth and 24th in the league phase table doing battle over two legs in a bid to continue their continental campaigns.

The majority suspected that the extension of the competition would aid Europe's elite, but there's work for members of UEFA's aristocracy to do yet if they're to compete in the proper knockout stages.

The first legs of this all-new play-off round start on Tuesday evening - here's 90min's predictions for how things will play out.

Tuesday 11 February

PSG recently beat Brest 5-2 ahead of their Champions League tussle / FRED TANNEAU/GettyImages

The play-offs begin with an all-French affair from Guingamp as one of the competition's pleasant surprises, Brest, face perennial Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain. PSG required back-to-back wins at the league phase's conclusion to advance, but Luis Enrique's side are one of the hottest on the continent right now.

The two sides faced off in Ligue 1 at the start of February, and the league leaders won at a canter. They're in an utterly rampant mood, and Ousmane Dembele is playing the most destructive football of his career.

Juventus started their Champions League campaign with a 3-1 victory over PSV Eindhoven, and the two sides meet again in the play-offs. Juve limped towards the finish line in the league phase while PSV rallied, but Thiago Motta's side are far from easily beatable.

The blockbuster tie of the round is doubtlessly Manchester City vs Real Madrid, with City's measly 22nd place finish setting up the toughest of tests at this early juncture. These two are facing off over two legs for the fourth consecutive season having combined to produce some of the best Champions League knockout stage matches of modern times. We're expecting goals.

Niko Kovac made his managerial bow with Borussia Dortmund on Saturday after the club parted ways with Nuri Sahin, but the Croatian was unable to enjoy a winning start against Stuttgart, He takes his vulnerable BVB side in the midst of an identity crisis to Sporting CP on Tuesday night. Sporting faded in this competition after Ruben Amorim's exit and have since sacked Joao Pereira in favour of Rui Borges.

Sporting will feel they need to secure a comfortable advantage before they visit Signal Iduna Park next week.

Wednesday 12 February

Bayern Munich visit Celtic Park on Wednesday evening / Alexander Hassenstein/GettyImages

Atalanta were unfortunate to miss out on a top-eight berth, with their impressive 2-2 draw at Barcelona on Matchday 8 opening the door for three teams to usurp them in the table.

La Dea have a few notable injury concerns ahead of Wednesday's first leg against Club Brugge, but Gian Piero Gasperini's side were in a rampant mood at the weekend and will be looking to kill the tie before they return to Bergamo next week.

Bayern Munich underwhelmed in the league phase and have a tricky play-off tie against Celtic. Celtic Park will be in a state of frenzy for the Bavarian behemoths' visit, and we've seen Vincent Kompany's side struggle away from home in this competition. This could be a memorable night for Brendan Rodgers' side.

Milan must've gotten familiar with Feyenoord while they negotiated Santiago Gimenez's transfer in the winter, and the Mexican striker could line up against his former club at De Kuip on Wednesday. Sergio Conceicao's new-look Rossoneri are one of the sleeper teams to keep an eye on as this competition progresses. They're bound to be a nightmare to play against across two legs.

Monaco vs Benfica is another clash we saw in the league phase, and a repeat of that encounter wouldn't go amiss on Wednesday. Benfica took advantage of Wilfried Singo's sending off and won 3-2 in dramatic fashion late on back in November.

The hosts are young and talented, but they seem to be trending in the wrong direction with Adi Hutter.