This years Champions League has now chosen its eight teams to compete in the quarter finals, and the remaining teams are arguably one of the strongest array of teams at this stage in the past few seasons.
With the draw commencing tomorrow, Friday 15th March, we take a look at the remaining teams in this year's competition, and assess how likely they are to keep advancing, and even lift the trophy come Saturday 1st June.
-
English Excellence: Two from the title race also have a European trophy to contend for
I have written a lot about the success of Arsenal and Manchester City in the Premier League recently, but their domestic efforts should not take away from how successful they have been in Europe this season. Both Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola topped their groups, and defeated their round of sixteen opponents, even though Arsenal relied on a brilliant penalty performance from goalkeeper David Raya.
Manchester City cruised by FC Copenhagen 6-2 on aggregate, and even though they had one of the easier draws, still showed why they could be contenders for their second Champions League in a row, after six goals from six different goalscorers. Guardiola has said himself that City, "haven't done anything special," winning just one cup, meaning the Manchester-based side will do anything to get their hands on the trophy this year.
On the other hand, Arsenal will be desperate to bring their first Champions League trophy back to the Emirates this June. An electric spell of form, including a ridiculous 31 goals in 10 games in all competitions, means the Gunners have a ridiculous amount of momentum going into the closing stages of the tournament.
With Kai Havertz finally finding form, with four goals and two assists in six, and Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli going from strength to strength, Arteta must feel as if Arsenal have an outside chance of bringing their first Champions League back to London, signifying Arsenal's unstoppable rise to form since Arteta was appointed in 2019.
However, out of the two remaining English teams, City are the more likely to win it. Having one of the world's most elite strikers in Erling Haaland gives City a card other teams struggle to hold in the Champions League. The defensive set-up of Guardiola's tactics also means opponents struggle to break his side down, whilst City themselves are unstoppable on the transition.
Both teams do have a strong chance of progressing through the rounds should they sustain their elite level form, but neither team are my favourite for the competition this year.
-
A potential El Clásico awaits, but one team is much stronger than the other
Barcelona and Real Madrid have one of the fiercest rivaries in the world, and there is a small chance that we could see it in the Champions League this year. With Barcelona defeating Napoli 4-2, and Real Madrid edging by RB Leipzig 2-1, both sets of fans will be hoping to add another Champions League to their illustrious trophy cabinets come June.
Real Madrid are the more likely of the two to do that. A brilliant transfer window, which saw the arrival of star player Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund, now means Carlo Ancelotti has one of, if not, the strongest squad in Europe at his disposal. With star attacking players like Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo, as well as midfielders Eduardo Camavinga and Toni Kroos, Real Madrid could well find themselves being the favourites for the trophy, alongside a possible La Liga title.
Barcelona are one of the surprises of the tournament so far. Despite still being a 'huge club', they are a shell of their former selves, sitting third in La Liga this season and topping one of the easier groups this season, beating Porto, Shakhtar and Antwerp. However, Xavi's men performed extremely well against Napoli, beating them 3-1 on Tuesday at the Olympic Stadium.
With star players such as Robert Lewandowski and Frenkie De Jong, the European pedigree in the squad is there to see, but major injuries to Alex Balde and Gavi, as well as other squad players, leave Barcelona light going into the quarter finals. It would not be a surprise to see Barcelona viewing La Liga as a priority to secure second place, or fight for another title, rather than gun for their sixth Champions League.
Whoever these two Spanish clubs draw, it will be interesting to see how each one progresses. Real Madrid are my personal favourites for the tournament, but their narrow victory over RB Leipzig just proves that anything can happen in the Champions League, especially this year.
-
A throwback to 2020: Can these two teams be outside shots for the Champions League?
Bayern Munich and Paris St. Germain were both finalists in 2020, so it is not a surprise to see these elite clubs making the quarter-finals this year. Bayern ran out 1-0 victors thanks to a Kingsley Coman goal, and will be hoping for a similar outcome this season to take home their seventh Champions League to Munich.
VICTORY: Bayern Munich defeat PSG 1-0 in 2020, thanks to a Kingsley Coman goal.
Their 3-1 aggregate win over Lazio established their intention to go far in this tournament. Equipped with arguably the best striker in world football, Harry Kane, Bayern Munich have the potential to be lifting the trophy at the end of the season. However, question lie over the future of manager Thomas Tuchel, as Bayern are not currently top of the Bundesliga, sitting 10 points behind Bayer Leverkusen.
PSG are having a better season domestically. Sitting 10 points head of their nearest competitor in Ligue 1, Luis Enrique has his team in fine form and on their way to their 12th title. Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele are finding excellent form on the wings, with 33 goal contributions between them, and Gianluigi Donnarumma, Milan Skriniar and Achraf Hakimi continue to prove their defensive class.
However, PSG remain without the illustrious Champions League trophy, something they will be hoping to capture by the end of this season. But with the strength of the eight remaining teams, it would take something remarkable from both Enrique and Tuchel's men to find themselves lifting the trophy in Wembley, at the start of June.
-
Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund: Do the underdogs dare?
Whilst the size and strength of these clubs should not be underestimated, it would be considered by many that Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund are perhaps the most unlikely to have a chance at the trophy this year.
Diego Simeone has never lost a game at home in the Champions League, and that continued to previal as Atleti ran out penalty winners against Serie A leaders Inter Milan. With long-time superstar Antoine Griezmann still running the show, alongside superstars Rodrigo De Paul and Alvaro Morata, Simeone's men certainly deserve to have a place in the quarters, and will be hoping for a favourable tie.
Borussia Dortmund are having a weak season in comparison. Their 3-1 aggregate victory over PSV Eindhoven is overshadowed by currently being 4th in the Bundesliga. Edin Terzic's men have been disappointing, but a Champions League run would certainly help the 'Yellow Wall' smile a bit more, especially if they can make their first final appearance since 2013.
With Julian Brandt pulling the strings in midfield, Donyell Malen and loanee Jadon Sancho causing chaos down the wings, and club legend Marco Reus still making an impact, Dortmund certainly have the players to pull of a surprise result. When compared to their potential opponents however, and a BVB appearance in a semifinal begins to look unlikely.
To say Atleti and Dortmund are underdogs is underestimating them slightly, but compared to the other six teams who are in Friday's draw they look likely to be knocked out in the next round. However, that is more a testament to the strength of this year's draw, rather than an insult to the quality of these two clubs.
-
When does the Champions League draw take place?
The Champions League quarter-final draw will take place at 11am GMT, where teams will also find out their potential semi-final opponents. The quarter-finals will take place between the 9th and 17th April over two legs.