2023/24 Champions League predictions: Last 16 first legs

Crunch time officially begins in the UEFA Champions League as the best teams in Europe eye victories in the first legs of their last 16 ties.

The group stage saw holders Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid all dominate and those continental giants will be confident of reaching the quarter-finals, though each have proven performers standing between them and a spot in the next round.

The Champions League throws up shocks year after year, but what can we expect from the first legs of the 2023/24 last 16?

Here's how 90min sees the games across Europe panning out.

Tuesday 13 February

Manchester City have fully entered Terminator-mode, blitzing any and all opposition to have unfortunately stumbled into their path in recent weeks. Erling Haaland is scoring again and the Cityzens' trip to Scandinavia to take on Copenhagen should be successful if not a little tighter than expected.

The Danish side squeezed through in Group A having dramatically bested Manchester United and Galatasaray, also holding Bayern Munich to a draw, so Pep Guardiola will be aware of their organisation and durability.

Over in Germany, a Jude Bellingham-less Real Madrid will roll into Saxony with the hope of snaring a first-leg lead over RB Leipzig.

Los Blancos made an emphatic statement in the La Liga title race at the weekend, thumping closest challengers Girona 4-0, and face the Red Bull establishment at an ideal time. Leipzig are down in fifth in the Bundesliga having won just one of their last six games, but the likes of Lois Openda, Xavi Simons and Benjamin Sesko will still look to make the most of the opportunity against one of the tournament favourites.

Wednesday 14 February

Bayern Munich threatened to throw the Bundesliga title away last season and are in more danger this time around despite Harry Kane's goal-laden debut campaign, with the 3-0 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen creating a five-point chasm at the top of the Bundesliga.

Whether Thomas Tuchel's Bavarians are good enough to salvage some silverware via the Champions League is a question that could be answered against Lazio, where things are rarely settled. Ciro Immobile brought up his 200th Serie A goal at the weekend but might not hit the back of the net on Wednesday.

An intriguing clash of styles will take place in France's capital when Paris Saint-Germain welcome Real Sociedad. It may well be Kylian Mbappe's last shot at UCL glory with the Ligue 1 giants and his breakaway threat could prove decisive against the La Liga outfit.