Champions League 2024-25 Play-offs: Return matches to be played this Wednesday, February 19

The UEFA Champions League 2024-25 play-offs continue. After some thrilling matches played on Tuesday, February 18, in which four great winners emerged: SL Benfica, Bayern Munich, Club Brugge, and Feyenoord, this Wednesday, February 19, the remaining four ties will be decided to find out the other four teams that, along with the previously mentioned clubs, as well as Liverpool, FC Barcelona, Inter Milan, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, LOSC Lille, and Aston Villa, will remain alive in the most prestigious club competition in Europe.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PLAY-OFF MATCHES (TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18)

1. AC Milan 1-1 Feyenoord (1-2 in favor of Feyenoord)
2. Atalanta 1-3 Club Brugge (2-5 in favor of Club Brugge)
3. Bayern Munich 1-1 Celtic F.C. (3-2 in favor of Bayern Munich)
4. SL Benfica 3-3 AS Monaco (4-3 in favor of SL Benfica)

For Wednesday, February 19, the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 will present four exciting matches:

1. Borussia Dortmund - Sporting Lisbon
2. Real Madrid - Manchester City
3. Paris Saint-Germain - Stade Brestois
4. PSV Eindhoven - Juventus

1. Borussia Dortmund - Sporting Lisbon

The match that will kick off this exciting conclusion of the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 play-offs will be the clash between Borussia Dortmund and Sporting Lisbon at Signal Iduna Park. Niko Kovač's team managed to take control of the series with a convincing 0-3 victory at the José Alvalade Stadium, with goals from Serhou Guirassy in the 60th minute, Pascal Groß in the 68th, and Karim Adeyemi in the 82nd.

Despite the scoreline, the Portuguese team did not show a passive performance, but they failed to capitalize on their goal-scoring opportunities in the same way the Germans did. The task looks very complicated for Rui Borges's team; however, in football, no outcome can be ruled out in advance.

• Kick-off time: 18:45 (CET)
• Broadcast: Movistar Champions League 2 (ESP)
• Possible opponents in the round of 16: (8th) Aston Villa or (7th) LOSC Lille 

POSSIBLE LINEUPS:

• Borussia Dortmund: Kobel; Ryerson, Can, Schlotterbeck, Svensson; Sabitzer, Gross; Adeyemi, Brandt, Gittens; Guirassy
• Sporting Lisbon: Rui Silva; Fresneda, Diomande, Gonçalo Inácio, Matheus Reis; Hjulmand, João Simões; Geovany Quenda, Araújo, Biel; Harder

2. Real Madrid - Manchester City

This is undoubtedly the match of the return leg of the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 play-offs, a fixture that could very well be a final of the competition. However, by the whims of fate, fortune has led both clubs to face each other at this stage, meaning that one of these two great teams, currently going through a rough patch, will soon be out of the race for the 'Orejona'.

Initially, the context seems extremely favorable for Real Madrid. Beyond having an advantage on the scoreboard, after achieving a 2-3 in the first leg at the Etihad Stadium with goals from Kylian Mbappé in the 60th minute, Brahim Díaz in the 86th, and Jude Bellingham in the 90+2, facing a brace from the Nordic '9' Erling Haaland (in the 19th and 80th minutes), the Madrid team has the advantage of playing the return leg at the Santiago Bernabéu, a nearly impregnable fortress when it comes to closing series in the Champions League.

However, the tie is still not decided, due to the greatness of both clubs and what was seen in the first leg. In that match, both teams displayed attractive and offensive play. However, the outcome of the match was marked by a series of defensive errors from the 'citizens', which caused the team to falter towards the end of the duel.

• Kick-off time: 21:00 (CET)
• Broadcast: Movistar Champions League | Movistar Plus+ (ESP)
• Possible opponents in the round of 16: (5th) Atletico Madrid or (6th) Bayer Leverkusen 

POSSIBLE LINEUPS:

• Real Madrid: Courtois; Valverde, Tchouaméni, Raúl Asencio, Mendy; Ceballos, Camavinga; Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior
• Manchester City: Ederson; Lewis, Stones, Rúben Dias, Gvardiol; Nico González, Bernardo Silva; Foden; Savinho, Haaland, Marmoush

3. Paris Saint-Germain - Stade Brestois

Another series that seems to be well on track in these UEFA Champions League 2024-25 play-offs is the one facing Paris Saint-Germain against Stade Brestois. Just like Sporting CP, the Breton team will need to seek a miracle as visitors, as they face a Parisian team that will welcome them with a comfortable 0-3 lead achieved at the Roudourou Stadium.

This wide margin was built thanks to an inspired Ousmane Dembélé, who scored two goals, one in the 45th minute and another in the 66th, extending the lead that had been initiated by Vitinha with a penalty in the 21st minute. Although Éric Roy's team showed reaction and momentum, the Breton team's comeback seems to be a very complicated task.

• Kick-off time: 21:00 (CET)
• Broadcast: Movistar Champions League 2 (ESP)
• Possible opponents in the round of 16: (1st) Liverpool or (2nd) FC Barcelona

POSSIBLE LINEUPS:

• Paris Saint-Germain: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Doué, Vitinha, João Neves; Lee, Dembélé, Barcola
• Stade Brestois: Bizot; Lala, Chardonnet, Coulibaly, Pereira Lage; Camara, Lees-Melou, Magnetti; Faivre; Ajorque, Sima

4. PSV Eindhoven - Juventus

The Juventus of Turin will seek to secure their place in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League 2024-25, trying to complete the task they started at home by defeating PSV Eindhoven 1-2, with goals from Weston McKennie in the 34th minute and Samuel Mbangula in the 82nd, answered by a goal from Ivan Perišić in the 56th.

Now, at the Philips Stadion, the home of the Dutch, a very balanced match is expected. A clash similar to the first leg, which at one point turned into a genuine exchange of blows like a ping-pong match.

• Kick-off time: 21:00 (CET)
• Broadcast: Movistar Champions League 3 (ESP)
• Possible opponents in the round of 16: (3rd) Arsenal or (4th) Inter Milan 

POSSIBLE LINEUPS: 

• PSV Eindhoven: Benítez; Ledezma, Flamingo, Obispo, Mauro Júnior; Veerman, Til, Schouten; Perišić, De Jong, Lang
• Juventus: Di Gregorio; Weah, Gatti, Renato Veiga, Kelly; Locatelli, Koopmeiners; Francisco Conceição, McKennie, Nico González; Kolo Muani