The UEFA Champions League Round of 16 gets underway on Tuesday night with several high profile first-leg encounters as teams look to establish an advantage before the return fixtures. We take a closer look at three of the standout clashes from a betting perspective below.
Outright Betting Snapshot
In the outright market, Arsenal remain favourites at 3.50, followed by Bayern Munich at 6.50. Barcelona are priced at 7.00 with Manchester City trading at 9.00 and you can get 11.00 and bigger the balance.
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Galatasaray vs Liverpool – Click here to bet
Galatasaray booked their place in the Round of 16 after a thrilling playoff tie against Juventus. They produced a brilliant 5-2 home win in the first leg before suffering a narrow 3-2 defeat away, advancing 7-5 on aggregate.
Their Champion’s League campaign has been mixed overall, including a 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid and a 2-0 defeat away to Manchester City, but their attacking ability at home remains a major strength.
Liverpool arrive in strong European form, winning four of their last five Champions League matches. Their recent results include a dominant 6-0 victory over Qarabag, a convincing 3-0 away win against Marseille and an impressive 1-0 triumph away to Inter.
Domestically they have been up and down and avenged a recent EPL loss to Wolves when they beat them 3-1 away in the FA Cup this past weekend.
Head-to-Head
Galatasaray have enjoyed success in previous meetings, winning four of the last five encounters between the sides. They also claimed a notable 1-0 victory as massive underdogs when the teams met earlier in the 2025/26 Champions League group stage.
Match Odds (1X2)
Galatasaray: 4.25
Draw: 4.00
Liverpool: 1.80
Verdict
Galatasaray’s home atmosphere is one of the most intimidating in European football and they have already shown they can compete with elite opposition. However, Liverpool’s recent Champions League form and overall squad quality give them the edge and I am backing them to win a high scoring fixture.
BET: Liverpool to Win and Both Teams to Score at 3.15
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Atletico Madrid vs Tottenham – Click here to bet
Atletico Madrid progressed from the playoff round with an emphatic 7-4 aggregate victory over Club Brugge, winning the second leg 4-1 at home after a thrilling 3-3 draw in Belgium.
The side have shown fight in Europe this season, also recording an impressive 3-2 away win against PSV earlier in the competition which was followed up with a 1-1 stalemate on the road to Galatasaray.
Tottenham arrive in excellent Champions League form having won four of their last five matches in the competition. They recorded strong 2-0 victories over Eintracht Frankfurt and Dortmund in January and beat Slavia Pargue 3-0 at home prior to that.
Their domestic form is less impressive though with 5 successive losses in the league.
Head-to-Head
The sides have met only once previously, with Atletico Madrid winning 1-0 during the 2016 International Champions Cup.
Match Odds (1X2)
Atletico Madrid: 1.53
Draw: 4.50
Tottenham: 6.00
Verdict
Atletico’s home record in European knockout matches remains formidable and they arrive with strong momentum after their playoff success. Tottenham find themselves in a relegation battle and I don’t see them troubling this Atletico team.
BET: Match result and Both Teams to Score – Atletico Madrid and NO at 2.75
Newcastle United vs Barcelona – Click here to bet
Newcastle United enter the Round of 16 after an impressive playoff performance against Qarabag, winning 6-1 away before sealing qualification with a 3-2 victory at home.
They have also recorded notable results earlier in the tournament including a 3-0 win against PSV and a hard-fought 1-1 draw away to Paris Saint-Germain.
Domestically they sit mid-table in the EPL and lost to Man City in the FA Cup this past weekend.
Barcelona have been one of the most consistent teams in this season’s Champions League. Their recent run includes a 4-1 win over FC Copenhagen, a 4-2 away victory against Slavia Prague and a 2-1 home success against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Their only major trouble came in a 3-0 loss away to Chelsea earlier in the group stages.
They have won their last 4 matches in all competitions and currently top the La Liga table.
Head-to-Head
Barcelona hold a strong historical advantage with four wins from five meetings against Newcastle. Earlier this season they claimed a 2-1 victory when the teams met in the group stage and Newcastle have not been able to find a win since their first meeting in 1997.
Match Odds (1X2)
Newcastle United: 2.90
Draw: 3.85
Barcelona: 2.25
Verdict
Newcastle’s attacking performances in the playoffs have been impressive, and St James’ Park will provide a huge boost in the first leg. However, Barcelona’s experience and attacking depth could lean things in their favour in what promises to be an entertaining contest.
BET: Barcelona to Win and Both Teams to Score at 3.65
Odds correct at time of writing but subject to change.
