The eight Champions League hopefuls have discovered their potential route to the grand final and it is time take a look at all four quarter-final match-ups.
Benfica vs Liverpool
Darwin Nunez’s late header in Amsterdam fired Benfica past Ajax in the last knock-out round, maintaining the Portuguese side’s dream of their first European title since 1961/62 alive.
However, the 37-time Primeira Liga champions will be huge underdogs in their quarter-final tie against Premier League heavyweights Liverpool.
Despite finishing above Barcelona in Champions League Group E before upsetting Ajax in the round of 16, Nelson Verissimo’s men could be approaching a dead end.
In addition to winning all but one of their eight continental fixtures this season, Jurgen Klopp’s men have returned in contention for the Premier League title after winning nine league games on the bounce.
The high-flying Reds have not lost any of their last nine competitive away matches, which comes as a confidence boost ahead of their trip to the Estadio da Luz for the first leg.
Manchester City vs Atletico Madrid
Manchester City will have an opportunity to put Football Today’s predictions to the test as they take on Manchester United’s conquerors Atletico Madrid in a handsomely-looking quarter-final tie.
Desperate to land their elusive first Champions League crown, the reigning Premier League holders are widely considered the leading candidates to conquer the competition this season.
Pep Guardiola’s men were inches away from achieving a historic club success last season before Chelsea’s Kai Havertz inflicted a heartbreaking defeat on them in the grand final.
The Cityzens proved their continental credentials with an overwhelming 5-0 aggregate triumph over defending Primeira Liga champions Sporting Lisbon in the previous knock-out round, having left Paris Saint-Germain in their wake in the group phase.
But Atletico could prove a formidable opposition following the Spaniards’ recent renaissance.
Malicious talks linking the long-serving manager Diego Simeone with the Wanda Metropolitano exit have seemingly infuriated Los Colchoneros.
They headed into March’s international break on a run of five consecutive wins in all competitions, including a 1-0 victory at Old Trafford in the return leg of their last-16 tie against Man United.
Chelsea vs Real Madri
Real Madrid pulled off an epic second-leg comeback to overcome star-studded Paris Saint-Germain 3-2 on aggregate in their mouth-watering last-16 tie.
Los Blancos’ bid to qualify for the competition’s semi-finals for the second season in a row faces a stern test in the shape of defending champions Chelsea.
The Blues ousted Madrid from last season’s semi-finals before beating Man City 1-0 in an all-Premier League final in Thomas Tuchel’s maiden season at the helm.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men will have revenge on their minds when the two sides lock horns in the first leg at Stamford Bridge on April 6. This match is likely to have the biggest international following and demand for soccer streams, and that’s before we consider how evenly matched these two managers and teams are.
However, Madrid’s humiliating 4-0 defeat at the hands of arch-rivals Barcelona in the latest installment of El Clasico showed the runaway La Liga leaders are not as indestructible as it may have appeared after their victory over PSG.
Villarreal vs Bayern Munich
Villarreal defied the odds to crash Juventus out of the first knock-out round, having claimed an overwhelming 3-0 triumph in Turin after a 1-1 first-leg draw at La Ceramica.
Led by the European specialist Unai Emery, the Yellow Submarine have established themselves as the surprise package this Champions League season.
A mix of experienced stars such as Raul Albiol and Dani Parejo and a raft of highly-rated youngsters in Yeremi Pino and Arnaut Danjuma has been too hot to handle for most clubs this term.
But Villarreal will have to be at their very best if they are to go past one of the hottest Champions League favourites, Bayern Munich, who made an example of Red Bull Salzburg last time out.
Following a lacklustre 1-1 first-leg draw in Austria, Julian Nagelsmann’s high-flyers, led by rampant Robert Lewandowski, hammered Salzburg 7-1 at home to secure a place in the quarter-finals.
Unless the Spaniards stage a one-in-a-lifetime upset, the perennial Bundesliga champions should be able to reach the Champions League semi-finals for the second time in three years.
