The top two German clubs meet in the first leg of the UCL Round of 16.
The pregame narrative: I’m expecting a safe approach from both sides, so I’ll take the under between Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen. Elsewhere, Mohamed Salah has value for Liverpool.
Check out the best Champions League predictions for the Round of 16.
Champions League predictions
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Best Bet: Bayern Munich/Bayer Leverkusen under 2.5 goals (+110)
Bayern Munich fields a very productive offence, recording the most shots on target per game (8.4) and ranking third in goals per match (2.3).
But Leverkusen has the tools to counter. The side conceded seven goals and only 8.2 xG in the league phase. That places among the top defensive clubs like Inter Milan, Arsenal and Liverpool.
According to Fotmob, these are the top two passing sides. Munich recorded 658.8 accurate passes per match and Leverkusen tails with 517.9.
Turnovers should be limited and I can’t see either team taking risks with a spot in the quarterfinal on the line.
Key stat: All three meetings between Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen this season stayed under 2.5 goals.
Quick pick
Salah anytime goalscorer (+105): If there’s one player prop that’s consistently hit this season, it’s this one.
Across all competitions, Salah has cashed this wager in 26 of 39 matches — an incredible 66.6% hit rate.
The early favourite to win Ballon D’or is balling right now. He doesn’t have to play a European giant like PSG often, mind you, but the French side has shown cracks in this competition.
Against non-Ligue 1 clubs, PSG has conceded at least a goal in six of eight UCL games.
Liverpool is dominating England and Europe right now. The side has only lost two games in the Premier League and Champions League combined (27-7-2).
And Salah has been front and centre. He has 28 goals in 35 games across those competitions. A truly otherworldly season that I expect to continue.
Picks made at 10:45 a.m. on 03/05/25.
Spencer is a true sports junkie. A graduate of the Sports Journalism program at Centennial College, he first joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2023. He is now a contributing writer. He loves finding the edge to bet on in all sports but has a deep passion for the NBA and UFC. Previous stops include Sportsnet.