With just eight teams remaining in the competition, we are set to be treated to some huge games in the UEFA Champions League. Defending Champions Chelsea take on Real Madrid whereas Manchester City take on Atletico Madrid. Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool will go head-to-head with Benfica and lastly, Bayern Munich face Villareal in the only quarter-final that does not involve an English side. So without further ado, let’s have a deeper look into each of the ties:
▶ Benfica vs Liverpool
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First Leg: 6th April 2022 – Estadio da Luz
Second Leg: 14th April – Anfield
One of the underdogs who still remain in the competition are Benfica who performed an upset of sorts by eliminating Ajax in the Round of 16 but now they have a bigger challenge as they face the might of Liverpool in the last eight stages. Liverpool are clear favorites to win this tie which sets up a mouth-watering clash in the semi-final against Bayern Munich or Villareal. Players to watch in this match would be the Liverpool frontline of Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz who are in top form at the moment. Even comparing the two sides midfield and defense, Liverpool are clearly the more dominant side which makes the draw favorable for Liverpool but it’s the UEFA Champions League and anything could happen!
▶ Villareal vs Bayern Munich
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First Leg: 7th April 2022 – Estadio de la Cerámica
Second Leg: 13th April 2022 – Allianz Arena
In a surprising turn of events, Villareal somehow managed to beat Juventus in the last 16 and find themselves in the quarterfinals of the UCL only to get drawn against the mighty Bayern Munich side who thumped RB Salzburg by netting 7 goals past them. Considering the quality in the Bayern Munich squad with players like Lewandowski, Muller, Sane and Gnabry the job is too tough to as for Villareal
▶ Manchester City vs Atletico Madrid
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First Leg: 6th April 2022 – Etihad Stadium
Second Leg: 14th April 2022 – Estadio Wanda Metropolitano
Up until the quarter-final stage, Manchester City had an easy journey in the competition, defeating Sporting Lisbon in the competition whereas their opponents Atletico got away with a hard-earned victory over City’s local rivals Manchester United. If you’d ask who is the favorite to win the tie, everyone would say Manchester City but it won’t be an easy job for them. Atletico’s patient defense will surely test Pep Guardiola’s possession game and will look to counter them with their attacking force consisting of Luis Suarez, Joao Feliz and Antoine Griezmann who are not only good at counter-attacking but can pounce upon the slightest of defensive errors to cause Manchester City problems.
▶ Chelsea vs Real Madrid
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First Leg: 7th April 2022 – Stamford Bridge
Second Leg: 13th April 2022 – Estadio Santiago Bernabéu
This is arguably one of the best ties in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League 2021-22 season. Defending champions Chelsea take on Real Madrid who are the most successful European CLub of all time. Real Madrid made their way into this stage after a brilliant Karim Benzema hattrick against PSG but sadly Los Blancos have never managed to get a win over Chelsea. Last season, the two sides faced each other in the semis with the tie ending 3-1 in Chelsea’s favor but that was a different Real Madrid. This time out, Carlo Ancelotti’s team cannot be taken lightly at all considering the form of players like Luka Modric, Karim Benzema and Thibaut Courtois. Is it time for Los Blancos to break the Chelsea Jinx? Only time can answer that question!
[Featured Image Credit: UEFA Champions League]
Shashank Iyer