Champions League quarter finalists analysed ahead of draw
High-flying Chelsea are the new team to beat, Real Madrid are showing their European pedigree and holders Bayern Munich look back to their best… how the eight teams remaining in the Champions League look ahead of quarter final draw
- Just eight teams remain in the Champions League as the race narrows down
- Chelsea, Man City and Liverpool all eased through in the round of 16 in style
- However, there remain big names left vying for European football’s top prize
- Sportsmail previews the eight remaining sides in this season’s competition
After a fascinating round of 16 in which the serious contenders triumphed over the pretenders, just eight teams remain in the Champions League as the prospect of lifting European club football’s greatest trophy inches closer.
The last round saw some of this competition’s biggest names make an early exit, with Barcelona, Juventus and Atletico Madrid deservedly packing their bags after serving up displays well below their usual best.
The Premier League’s remaining contingent is still going strong, with Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City all advancing to the quarter finals, each without conceding a single goal over two legs.
All three will be keeping a close eye on Friday’s draw in Nyon, Switzerland, with reports of each of their potential rivals being drawn up. Sportsmail takes a look at the eight teams left vying for the Champions League this campaign.
The Champions League race is narrowing down with just eight teams remaining this season
Chelsea
Despite enduring a somewhat turbulent domestic campaign, Chelsea have been near faultless in the Champions League this season.
Former boss Frank Lampard oversaw a fantastic group stage for the Blues, sending the west London outfit top of Group E beyond Europa League winners Sevilla after picking up 14 points from six matches.
Chelsea have been near faultless in Europe, despite a somewhat turbulent domestic campaign
Quarter Finals draw
When: Friday 19 March, 11am GMT.
Where: Nyon, Switzerland
Thomas Tuchel has made a superb impact since arriving in January, with the German undefeated thus far.
The round of 16 clash with Atletico Madrid, a side well used to reaching the latter stages of the competition, was Tuchel’s first real test in charge, and a 3-0 aggregate win would suggest that the former PSG boss passed it with flying colours.
Star man: N’Golo Kante
A toss up between the Frenchman and Mason Mount, who has quite rightly received plenty of plaudits this season.
Kante demonstrated in the second leg on Wednesday night that, when firing on all cylinders, very few midfielders can get near him.
If the 29-year-old can maintain those performances for the rest of the season, Chelsea will be a real threat for anyone.
N’Golo Kante showed his world class ability against Atletico and will be crucial to their hopes
Reason to be fearful
Tuchel has a point to prove.
Sacked by PSG, despite leading them to their first Champions League final, the German is still lingering on the outskirts of the very best coaches in football.
He has the tactical nous to navigate his side through the trickiest of obstacles, like Atletico, and his comments on Wednesday night would suggest he is not short of confidence in his ability to inspire this group to the title.
Odds: 15/2*
Liverpool
The Reds have made a pitiful attempt of defending their Premier League title, but Jurgen Klopp hasn’t allowed his side’s woeful league form carry over into European competition.
Liverpool breezed through their group and were expected to face a tough challenge in RB Leipzig in the last 16.
Julien Nagelsmann’s side were knocked out in the semi finals last season but looked a shadow of the outfit that delighted in 2019-20, with Klopp’s side comfortably sweeping aside the Germans 4-0 on aggregate.
Liverpool have gone off the boil completely in the league but are going strong in Europe
Mo Salah continues to find the net and can singlehandedly turn a game on its head for the Reds
Star man: Mo Salah
While Liverpool’s attack has been uncharacteristically blunt for the duration of the campaign, Mo Salah has kept up his end of the bargain and remains the Reds’ biggest threat going forwards.
The Premier League’s top scorer has bagged five goals in Europe this season, and is capable of turning a game on its head with an individual piece of brilliance.
Keep Salah quiet, and Klopp’s side become a far less daunting prospect.
Reason to be fearful
Everything rests on this season’s competition for Klopp and Liverpool.
The charismatic German has thrown in the towel on the top four race and so the only chance of them qualifying for next season’s tournament is by lifting the trophy on May 29.
The Reds have a strong record in this competition, and if several of their key stars can return from injury for the final knockings it would be a mistake to write them off just yet.
Odds: 13/2*
Everything rests on the Champions League after Klopp threw in the towel on the top four race
Man City
Pep Guardiola’s high-flying City have steamrolled their way to the quarter finals this season.
Barring a 0-0 draw with Porto in the group stage, the Premier League leaders have won all of their European games thus far, conceding just one goal on their journey to the last eight.
City made light work of an admittedly out-of-form Borussia Monchengladbach side in the round of 16, and enter the quarters with hopes high that they can finally clinch their very first Champions League triumph.
Manchester City have steamrolled their way to the quarter finals, conceding just one goal
Star man: Ilkay Gundogan
The German revealed this week that he would agree to score no more goals this season if it means winning the Champions League.
But make no mistake, if Guardiola is to win this competition with City he will need the free-scoring midfielder to be hitting the net.
City’s surge towards the league title can be attributed to the form of Gundogan, who has scored 12 goals in the top flight from midfield. He scored against Monchengladbach on Tuesday and will be eager to add to his tally.
Ilkay Gundogan has emerged as City’s go-to goalscorer and is enjoying a rich vein of form
Reason to be fearful
City are, quite simply, the best team in Europe at present.
A strong domestic campaign doesn’t necessarily translate to success on the continent, as we have seen so many times with this side before. But if Guardiola’s side can keep their heads, they will be a seriously tough team to eliminate.
Odds: 21/10*
Real Madrid
They may not be the same force that won three Champions League titles on the spin, but led by Zinedine Zidane and Karim Benzema, Madrid have the know how to go deep into this competition.
Los Blancos faced a very rocky start to the group stage, picking up just one point from their first two games leading to concerns that the Spaniards would suffer a premature exit.
Madrid recovered to win their group and comfortably saw off Atalanta in the last 16 with a 4-1 aggregate win over the Italians.
Real Madrid may not be the same force as years gone by, but remain a strong contender
Karim Benzema has stepped out of the shadow of former team-mates to lead the line superbly
Star man: Karim Benzema
The Frenchman has long been lurking in the shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale during his spell in the Spanish capital, but he has shown his star quality since the pair have left the club.
The veteran is seemingly getting better with age, having netted 15 goals in LaLiga and five in Europe.
Working in tandem with captain Sergio Ramos, Benzema will be eager to guide Madrid to their 14th Champions League title without the help of Ronaldo and Bale.
Reason to be fearful
Madrid have pedigree in this competition. Their chances of retaining their LaLiga crown seem slim, given that they are six points adrift of Atletico, but Zidane has a near impeccable record in Europe and knows what it takes to get his side over the line.
Odds: 12/1*
Madrid have pedigree in this competition and Zinedine Zidane knows what it takes to win it
PSG
They came closer than ever to their crowning moment last season, and now PSG will be more desperate than ever to get their hands on Europe’s top prize come May.
Despite losing out to Bayern Munich in Lisbon last August, all signs appeared positive between the club and Tuchel. However, a jittery start to the campaign, including losses to Man United and Leipzig, saw the Parisians’ ruthless owners dismiss the German.
Former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino is in the hot seat, and will be acutely aware of what is required of him with the ambitious French champions. A comprehensive win over Barcelona in the round of 16 has gotten the Argentine off to a good start.
Last year’s finalists have changed manager but put in an impressive display to beat Barcelona
Star man: Kylian Mbappe
Perhaps unfair to overlook Neymar on this one, given the Brazilian is equal top scorer in Europe for his side this season, but when Mbappe is on song there are few that can contain the devastating marksman.
The Frenchman had an off day in last season’s final against Bayern, scuppering a handful of chances that you would put good money on him scoring.
If he can keep up the form that saw him put four past Barca in the last round, he will be difficult to stop.
An in-form Kylian Mbappe is an almost unstoppable prospect for any side in Europe
Reason to be fearful
Any team that wants to succeed in this competition will likely have to get past PSG if they are to triumph.
The Parisians have overcome their previous tendency to wilt on the big stage, holding their nerve at the Nou Camp last week while showing nerves of steel to come back and defeat Atalanta last season.
Coupled with their abundance in quality, it will take a near-perfect effort to knock Pochettino’s side out.
Odds: 11/2*
Borussia Dortmund
A staple in any Champions League, Dortmund typically find themselves on the outside looking in as they plot to break into the European elite.
The Bundesliga outfit’s hopes on the continent appeared slim after parting ways with Lucien Favre earlier in the campaign, with new manager Marco Rose not set to take over until the summer.
Borussia Dortmund have long desired to break into the European elite and are in the last eight
However, victory over Julien Lopategui’s Sevilla in the round of 16 means the Germans cannot be written off just yet, especially with the calibre of striker they have leading the line…
Star man: Erling Haaland
No surprises here. Quite simply, Erling Haaland is the most exciting talent in world football at present and will surely dominate the sport over the next decade.
The 20-year-old has scored an incredible 20 goals in just 14 Champions League appearances.
With his pace, power and deadly finishing destroying all manner of defences, it is no wonder Europe’s elite teams are queuing up for him this summer.
Goalscoring machine Erling Haaland is on the radar of Europe’s elite and is in sensational form
Reason to be fearful
Dortmund have a good blend of experience and exciting young talent that can pose a threat to any team.
The Germans still have a few members of Klopp’s squad that reached the 2013 final, while the likes of Haaland, Jadon Sancho and Gio Reyna have the capacity to cause trouble.
Odds: 16/1*
Porto
Like Dortmund, Porto are an ever-present in European football’s premier competition. However, they do not typically make it to this stage of the tournament.
Sergio Conceicao’s side advanced to the knockout stages pretty comfortably, finishing second behind City in Group C. The feisty coach is best known on these shores for launching a scathing critique of Guardiola’s side’s etiquette following their 0-0 draw in December.
The Portuguese clinched the biggest scalp of the round of 16, though, after knocking out Italian champions Juventus in one of the biggest surprise results in recent years.
Porto are a somewhat unknown quantity having earned a huge scalp in the round of sixteen
The Portuguese outfit knocked out Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus to advance to the quarters
Star man: Pepe
It is hard to believe the defensive brute is still competing at the highest level at 38 years of age, but Pepe’s leadership and quality has come to the fore for Conceicao and Porto.
The Portuguese defender put in an heroic display to help his side, who had been reduced to 10 men for much of the second leg in Turin, over the line and will be hungry to show that the result over Andrea Pirlo’s side was no fluke.
Veteran Pepe is defying his age and rolling back the years for Sergio Conceicao’s side
Reason to be fearful
They may not boast the plethora of household names that we are accustomed to in this tournament, but Porto have the resolute organisational qualities, coupled with creative ability at the other end that means they will be no walkover to the final four.
Odds: 40/1*
Bayern Munich
Easily the best team in Europe last season, although Michael Owen may disagree.
Bayern have all the characteristics of a winning machine full of ‘mentality monsters’, as Klopp once described his Liverpool side.
There had been concerns that Bayern had gone off the boil slightly earlier this campaign, but an impressive win over Dortmund in the Bundesliga and a comfortable aggregate win over Lazio demonstrates that the reigning champions are back to their best.
Bayern had a slow start to the campaign but recent results show they are back to their best
Star man: Robert Lewandowski
No arguments here, the Pole has flourished into the best striker in the world in the past 12 months.
He already has 32 goals in the league, five in the Champions League and is showing no signs of slowing down.
Hans Dieter-Flick’s side have threats all over the park, but Lewandowski is the linchpin that sets the platform for the likes of Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane to thrive.
Robert Lewandowski has flourished over the past 12 months and is Bayern’s attacking linchpin
Reason to be fearful
This team just does not know how to lose at the moment.
They have won all there is to win over the last year, becoming only the second team behind Guardiola’s famous Barcelona side to win six trophies in one year.
A team that does not experience defeat will not roll over easily, it would take a monumental performance to dethrone the kings of Europe.
Odds: 3/1*
*Odds courtesy of Paddy Power.
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