Joe Casey
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The quarterfinals continue in the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League and we have another couple of huge first legs. French club PSG host Barcelona with both looking to take control of their hot matchup, while the other game sees Atletico Madrid take on Borussia Dortmund. Our soccer experts have given their Champions League predictions and best bets for each of those matchups, with both scheduled to kick off at 3:00 pm ET on Paramount+. You can also find out our soccer picks for more Champions League picks as well as our EPL best bets each week.
PSG vs Barcelona best bet: Tie (+270)
PSG and Barcelona have become familiar foes, meeting 12 times in the Champions League, with the record perfectly balanced at 4 wins apiece and 4 ties. Some of the most dramatic games in the competition’s history have come between these two, such as when Barcelona overturned a 4-0 first-leg deficit to win 6-1 in the second leg in 2016-17.
Luis Enrique was Barcelona head coach that day but is in the opposite dugout now, looking to inflict defeat on his former employers. He brings a 27-game undefeated streak into this matchup, with PSG’s last loss coming against AC Milan in November. With Kylian Mbappe departing at the end of the season, Enrique will be aiming to give his talisman the perfect parting gift by lifting this trophy.
Barcelona have improved after a rocky start to the season however and while they are unlikely to overturn Real Madrid’s 8-point lead in La Liga, they are unbeaten in their last 11 games and youngsters Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi have impressed in recent weeks. As a result, a tie looks good value between these two teams, setting up a blockbuster second leg in Barcelona.
Read our full PSG vs Barcelona predictions
Atletico Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund best bet: Atletico Madrid ML (-135)
Atletico Madrid scraped through against Inter Milan in the last round but they are incredibly tough to beat at home in the Champions League, as they are unbeaten in 16 home knockout ties in the competition under Diego Simeone, keeping a clean sheet in 12 of those. They have conceded just 4 times at home in the knockout stages of the Champions League under this manager and they are expected to get the better of Dortmund here. The visitors have been a difficult team to predict this season and they were a touch fortunate to get the better of PSV Eindhoven in the last round. The road team has also lost 8 of their last 10 away games in the knockout stages of this competition so it’s worth backing the home team to get the victory.
Read our full Atletico Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund predictions
