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Liverpool, Newcastle and Spurs play their first-leg ties in the Round of 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday night.
The Reds face Turkish club Galatasaray in the earlier kick-off whilst Newcastle and Spurs take on Barcelona and Atletico Madrid later in the evening.
Galatasaray v Liverpool – 21:45 (UAE Time)
Arne Slot’s side travel to Turkey for the first-leg of their tie against Galatasaray off the back of a convincing 3-1 win in the FA Cup against Wolves.
Liverpool have struggled with consistency this season, particularly in the Premier League, where their efforts to defend last year’s title have fallen well below expectations. However, it has been a very different story in the Champions League, where the Reds have performed far more convincingly.
The side finished third in the league-phase table behind Bayern Munich and Arsenal, winning six of their eight matches and showing the kind of form that suggests they remain a serious threat in Europe despite their domestic inconsistency.
Galatasaray come into the tie in strong domestic form, sitting top of the Süper Lig, but their European campaign has been far less straightforward.
The Turkish side struggled during the league phase of the Champions League, finishing 20th in the table and needing to go through the play-offs, where they defeated Juventus, to reach the knockout rounds.
Despite that difficult path, Galatasaray will feel confident about their chances against Liverpool having already beaten the English side earlier in the competition at home, a result that could give them belief they hold the upper hand heading into the clash in Istanbul.
Newcastle v Barcelona – 00:00 (UAE Time)
St. James’ Park is going to be absolutely rocking as Newcastle welcome Spanish giants Barcelona for their first-leg of the round of 16.
The Geordie side led by Eddie Howe have struggled to replicate the impressive league form they showed last season, enduring an up-and-down campaign in the Premier League that currently leaves them sitting 12th in the table.
Newcastle will hope their famous home atmosphere at St James’ Park can play a crucial role as they look to challenge one of Europe’s elite sides.
Barcelona arrive in strong form, currently sitting top of La Liga, four points clear of rivals Real Madrid. Much of their attacking threat has come from the excellent form of Lamine Yamal, who has been one of their standout performers in recent weeks.
Barcelona also impressed in the Champions League league phase, finishing fifth to advance comfortably to the knockouts.
They will also take confidence from their earlier trip to St James’ Park this season, where Marcus Rashford stole the show with two goals in a memorable victory over Newcastle.
Atletico Madrid vs Tottenham Hotspur – 00:00 (UAE Time)
Spurs come into the tie enduring a dreadful domestic campaign, finding themselves in the middle of a relegation battle in the Premier League.
The side are currently sit 16th in the table, just one point above West Ham United in 18th, and confidence within the squad appears low after a difficult run of results.
Their performances in the Champions League have been far more encouraging, however, with the North London side finishing fourth in the league phase and losing only once in their eight matches.
This match will also mark Igor Tudor’s first game in charge of Spurs in the competition, and he will be hoping to inspire a turnaround as the team looks to end a worrying three-game losing streak.
Atletico have enjoyed a steady domestic campaign and currently sit third in La Liga, although their season has been highlighted by impressive victories over both Real Madrid and Barcelona.
In the Champions League they have found things more difficult, finishing 14th in the league phase and needing to come through a play-off tie against Club Brugge KV to reach this stage.
However, Atletico’s strong history in knockout football means they remain a dangerous opponent once the competition reaches this stage.
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