Another away clean sweep more than plausible in Champions League

Not only were four away wins celebrated in the first batch of Champions League last-16 ties, but the quartet of clubs playing at home couldn’t even muster a single goal between them.

Never since the Champions League format was changed from having two group stages in 2003/04 have there been five away winners or more in the first legs at the round-of-16 stage, but there is a first time for everything, as the saying goes.

And not only will punters being expecting at least one away win from the remaining four first legs, some may even believe another clean sweep is on the agenda.

Coral are offering 10/1 that all eight first legs are won by the team playing away, which means victories for Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid and Chelsea in their respective encounters.

Man Utd head to an Olympiakos side that may have triumphed in every Greek league game on their own patch this season, but have lost all four previous meetings with the Red Devils.

Olympiakos are also light in the striker department because of players being injured or unregistered, while Man Utd can look forward to pairing Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney in their attack for just the second time in the competition this season.

Dortmund are the big worries to the bet being successful, despite winning at Arsenal and Marseille in their last two group-stage road trips.

Zenit are unbeaten in their last seven Champions League home outings, holding the likes of Benfica and Atletico Madrid in the group stages.

The fact that Zenit haven’t played a competitive game since December 11th though should give Dortmund an edge in terms of match fitness.

Real Madrid netted 10 times in their three away games in the group and they will need to maintain this level of scoring against a Schalke side that have been rejuvenated since the winter break in Germany.

Finally, Chelsea have kept clean sheets in five of their last seven away games and visit Turkey to play a Galatasaray that have won only one of their last three at home and were thumped 6-1 by Real Madrid in the group stages.