The UEFA Champions League Round of 16 continues on Wednesday night with three blockbuster first-leg encounters as Europe’s elite sides battle for an advantage ahead of 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 are 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.
Click here for long-term markets– including “Winning Nation” where England are trading at 1.70
Bayer Leverkusen vs Arsenal – Click here to bet
Bayer Leverkusen progressed to the Round of 16 after overcoming Olympiacos in the playoff round. They secured a solid 2-0 away victory in the first leg before holding the Greek side to a 0-0 draw at home to advance comfortably on aggregate.
Their Champions League campaign has included some impressive performances, including a convincing 3-0 win over Villarreal and a competitive 2-2 draw against Newcastle earlier in the tournament.
Domestically they are coming off a 3-3 draw at Freiburg.
Arsenal arrive as one of the most in-form teams in this season’s competition. They have won all of their last five Champions League matches, including an impressive 3-1 victory over Bayern Munich and dominant 3-0 away wins against both Club Brugge and Slavia Prague.
They also produced a strong 3-1 away win against Inter earlier in the campaign, highlighting their ability to perform on the road against quality opposition.
Arsenal top the EPL and are unbeaten in their last 11 matches in all competitions.
Head-to-Head
Arsenal hold the advantage in previous meetings between the sides, winning two of the last three encounters. Their most recent meeting came in a 2024 club friendly where Arsenal ran out comfortable 4-1 winners.
Match Odds (1X2)
Bayer Leverkusen: 5.75
Draw: 4.25
Arsenal: 1.59
Verdict
Leverkusen have proven difficult to break down at home and have already shown they can compete at this level. However, Arsenal’s outstanding form in the competition and superior squad depth make them strong favourites heading into the first leg and I can see them winning a fixture that I am expecting to open up at some point.
BET: Arsenal to Win and Over 2.5 Goals at 2.50
PSG vs Chelsea – Click here to bet
Paris Saint-Germain advanced from the playoff round with a hard-fought 5-4 aggregate victory over Monaco. After winning the first leg 3-2 away, they secured qualification with a 2-2 draw at home in the return fixture.
Their run this season has been competitive, with results including a 1-1 draw against Newcastle and a narrow 2-1 defeat away to Sporting CP.
PSG are coming off a shock 3-1 home defeat to Monaco in the league on the weekend.
Chelsea arrive with several strong performances in Europe this season. They recently recorded an impressive 3-2 away victory over Napoli and produced a convincing 3-0 home win against Barcelona earlier in the competition.
They have also shown resilience away from home, battling to a 2-2 draw against Qarabag and narrowly losing 2-1 to Atalanta.
Domestically Chelsea are in good form with a 4-2 win over Wrexham away in the FA Cup preceded by a 4-1 away win over Villa in the EPL.
Head-to-Head
The history between the sides is balanced, with both teams recording three wins each alongside five draws across previous meetings. Their latest clash came in the Fifa Club World Cup where Chelsea won the contest 3-0.
Match Odds (1X2)
PSG: 1.95
Draw: 3.85
Chelsea: 3.65
Verdict
PSG will look to take control of the tie in front of their home supporters, but Chelsea’s attacking threat and recent European results suggest they are capable of causing problems. This has the potential to develop into a high quality, open contest.
BET: Over 3.5 goals at 2.40
Last Leg Bad Luck!
Scratched/Voided markets do not count towards Leg count.
Pre-match bets only.
Free Bets do not count towards this offer.
Refund must be claimed within 24 hours of the game finishing.
Free Bet vouchers received must be used within 7 days.
Max refund per account per day in Free Bets:
Free Bets terms and conditions apply.
Simply email promotions@wsb.co.za with Subject ‘Last Leg Promo or, present your ticket to your branch manager within 24 hours of the game finishing.
Real Madrid vs Manchester City – Click here to bet
Real Madrid progressed to the Round of 16 after eliminating Benfica in the playoff round with a 3-1 aggregate victory. They secured a 1-0 away win in the first leg before completing the job with a 2-1 victory at home.
Earlier in the competition they also produced a dominant 6-1 victory over Monaco, highlighting their attacking strength in the tournament.
Their league form has been a bit off in recent weeks, losing 2 of their last 3 La Liga games.
Manchester City have produced mixed results in Europe this season but remain one of the strongest squads in the competition. Their recent run includes a 2-0 victory over Galatasaray and an impressive 2-1 away win against Real Madrid during the group stage.
However, they did suffer a surprising 3-1 defeat away to Bodo/Glimt, demonstrating that they can occasionally be vulnerable on the road.
City have won 9 of their last 11 games across all competitions with the other 2 games being draws.
Head-to-Head
Recent meetings between the sides have produced several thrilling encounters, with both teams winning multiple matches across the last few Champions League seasons. Manchester City claimed a 2-1 victory on the road when the sides met earlier in the 2025/26 group stage.
Match Odds (1X2)
Real Madrid: 3.50
Draw: 3.85
Manchester City: 2.00
Verdict
These two sides have developed one of the most exciting rivalries in European football in recent seasons. Real Madrid’s experience in knockout ties is always a major factor, but Manchester City’s attacking quality could lean things their way in what should be another entertaining contest.
BET: Result and Both Teams to Score – Manchester City and Yes at 3.50
Odds correct at time of writing but subject to change.
