"Are soccer's major competitions bloated? Probably. Is the sport's calendar bursting at the seams? Absolutely. And do these extended competitions give us even more stories to follow and offer more clubs access to moments they'll talk about forever? Absolutely. Over the next two weeks, 16 teams will vie for the eight remaining spots in the Champions League round of 16. Clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Inter Milan will look to right their league phase wrongs."
"Playoff games will be held Tuesday-Wednesday (first leg) and Feb. 24-25 (second leg) The favorites Average title odds: 26.3%Next opponent: Atalanta, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund or Olympiacos (round of 16) (Note: I created a set of average title odds based on those set by Opta's supercomputer, DraftKings and xStandings.com on Monday morning.) Why they will win it all: They're the best team in Europe. Plain and simple."
Soccer's major competitions are likely bloated and the sport's calendar is bursting, yet extended competitions create additional stories and offer more clubs lasting moments. Sixteen teams will compete over the next two weeks for eight remaining Champions League round-of-16 spots in playoff ties. Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Inter Milan aim to rectify league-phase shortcomings and prepare for another long spring of European nights. Bodo/Glimt, Benfica and FK Qarabag seek to continue surprising runs. Until elimination, every club technically has a chance at winning the whole competition. Playoff games will be held Tuesday-Wednesday (first leg) and Feb. 24-25 (second leg).
Read at ESPN.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]