Champions League: Liverpool look to cruise past faulty Bayern, Barca tipped to beat Lyon

The Champions League returns tonight [Courtesy]

The Champions League round of 16 returns tonight with four teams scheduled to play.

English title favourites Liverpool welcome perennial German champions Bayern Munich to Anfield while French giants Olympique Lyon host 5-time UCL champions Barcelona in Lyon.

LIVERPOOL

Liverpool players celebrate scoring a goal in a past Champions League tie [Courtesy]

The Reds could be without the services of striker Roberto Firmino and defender Dejan Lovren who missed training on Monday. The Brazilian striker is a doubt for tonight’s match due to a virus infection while Croat is struggling with a hamstring problem. Klopp could however, use Daniel Sturridge or Divock Origi who have been missing in action for a huge chunk of Liverpool’s season. The Premier League giants head into the match with a fine string of results in their domestic campaign.

BAYERN MUNICH

Bayern Munich trio Leon Goretzka (left), Robert Lewandowski (centre) and Thomas Muller in jubilation after scoring in a previous match [Courtesy] 

Bayern Munich come to Anfield aware of the task ahead of them having won only once in their last seven encounters in this competition - drawn four, lost two and won just once. The last time these two football juggernauts met, the Kop-based side emerged 3-2 winners (2001). The Bavarians could be without German defender Jerome Boateng and French forward Kingsley Coman who have contracted stomach upsets and fitness issues respectively.

OLYMPIQUE LYON

Lyon starlet Maxwel Cornet gestures to the fans after scoring against Manchester [Courtesy]

Lyon will be hoping to stop the five-time Ballon D’or winner Lionel Messi but they will face an uphill task due to the absence of their talisman skipper Nabil Fekir who is suspended for the first leg of the encounter. Lyon are third in their domestic league table despite winning four of their last five league matches.

BARCELONA

Barcelona players celebrate [Courtesy]

The Catalans head into this clash as favorites despite scoring only four goals in their last four matches. But they will be counting on the services of their key men, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho to help them realise their goal-scoring form once again. Barca have a bad away record in European competitions having won for the last time away to Arsenal in 2016. Thomas Vermaelen joins Arthur, Rafinha and goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen on Barca's injury list.

Prediction

Liverpool could come out on top due to their home advantage and Bayern’s poor record in this fixture. On the other hand, Barcelona are expected to emerge victorious with regard to their lethal attack that is looking to revive itself in terms of goal scoring exploits. Lyon will struggle with the absence of their talisman Nabil Fekir.

Game Yetu however, predicts that both teams will score in both matches. The ball is now in the court of the ‘investors’ who seek to reap handsome rewards from tonight’s matches.