What is the greatest club competition on the planet is finally reaching its finale. 11 months after the start of the group stages, the quarter-finals of the Champions League are finally beginning.
The Champions League is what all players and managers want to win, and the culmination of the tournament comprises some of the best football played and the best football to watch.
The tournament this season has been full of surprises, not least with its curtailment back in March. However, instead of looking back, we seek to look forward, and preview the last eight teams remaining in the competition.
Atlético Madrid - In the 11 matches after lockdown, Atlético Madrid didn’t lose a single game and solidified their position in third in La Liga. It is also easy to forget their win at Anfield back in March, which was amazingly played in front of supporters. Simeone’s men picked up a 4-2 aggregate win against Liverpool in extra time after some second leg heroics from their Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak. The Argentinian always makes his team a force to be reckoned with in Europe with his rigid 4-4-2 system based on narrow defensive solidity and dangerous counter attacking. These tactics may be extremely effective in this year’s tournament format. This could work to their advantage and with a side of the draw that looks favourable in comparison to the other side of the quarter-finals, it would not be a surprise to see Atletico Madrid in their fourth Champions League final.
The Champions League is what all players and managers want to win, and the culmination of the tournament comprises some of the best football played and the best football to watch.
The tournament this season has been full of surprises, not least with its curtailment back in March. However, instead of looking back, we seek to look forward, and preview the last eight teams remaining in the competition.
Atlético Madrid - In the 11 matches after lockdown, Atlético Madrid didn’t lose a single game and solidified their position in third in La Liga. It is also easy to forget their win at Anfield back in March, which was amazingly played in front of supporters. Simeone’s men picked up a 4-2 aggregate win against Liverpool in extra time after some second leg heroics from their Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak. The Argentinian always makes his team a force to be reckoned with in Europe with his rigid 4-4-2 system based on narrow defensive solidity and dangerous counter attacking. These tactics may be extremely effective in this year’s tournament format. This could work to their advantage and with a side of the draw that looks favourable in comparison to the other side of the quarter-finals, it would not be a surprise to see Atletico Madrid in their fourth Champions League final.
Did you know? This is the fifth time Atlético Madrid have reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League in the last seven seasons, a feat only Barcelona and Bayern Munich have bettered.
RB Leipzig - Leipzig will be without the prolific Timo Werner after his £48 million pound move to Chelsea. This will be a huge blow to the German club and the injury to Yussuf Poulsen means he is a doubt for Thursday’s clash against Atlético Madrid. Julien Nagelsmann likes to play a 3-5-2, and with Patrick Schick still fit and available, Dani Olmo looks likely to come in and take Poulsen's place. A further issue for Leipzig is that they haven’t played a competitive match in over five weeks. Nagelsmann and Leipzig are up against it but will relish the opportunity to reach their first Champions League semi-final in a one-off game.
Did you know? None of RB Leipzig’s 14 Champions League games have ended in a goalless draw.
Atalanta – The surprise package of the campaign so far with 16 goals scored and 16 goals conceded. Atalanta’s swashbuckling style has caught the imagination of the footballing neutral, similar to Ajax’s run only a year ago when they heartbreakingly lost to Tottenham Hotspur in the dying embers of the semi-final. However, with only leg to play and neutral venues, Atalanta will fancy their chances, especially in the light of their impressive form post lockdown. Atalanta’s post lockdown form has seen them win nine games, draw three and lose one. They finished Serie A in third position - their joint highest league finish. Atalanta’s first three games were very similar to last year's finalists Tottenham as they were winless in all three. In fact, they lost all three and a remarkable turnaround of seven points in the return fixtures saw them sneak into second place behind fellow quarter finalist Man City. So, what have we learnt about Atalanta? They’re not short on form and confidence and with a format that lends itself to the underdog you shouldn’t be counting them out.
Did you know? No Italian player has registered a single goal for Gian Piero Gasparini’s side this season.
PSG -The Parisians’ struggles in the knockout stages of the Champions League are well documented, however given the quality of their attacking players they can never be deemed an underdog. Their 21-year-old French superstar Kylian Mbappe is currently nursing an ankle injury he picked up in last month's Coupe De France final against St Etienne, but he has been spotted in training in the last few days. Although a return to action in Wednesday’s clash against Atalanta looks unlikely, he may play a key role if they get past the Italian side. PSG look to have found a new solidity in European competition this season with ex-Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye playing a central role in guarding their defence. Mauro Icardi has also added further attacking flair with Edinson Cavani seemingly on his way out. The French side are also in the unique position of not finishing their league campaign, as a result of the French federation's early decision to curtail the season in early April. This could give them that extra sharpness in comparison to other teams and help them become only the second French side to lift Europe’s most prestigious trophy.
RB Leipzig - Leipzig will be without the prolific Timo Werner after his £48 million pound move to Chelsea. This will be a huge blow to the German club and the injury to Yussuf Poulsen means he is a doubt for Thursday’s clash against Atlético Madrid. Julien Nagelsmann likes to play a 3-5-2, and with Patrick Schick still fit and available, Dani Olmo looks likely to come in and take Poulsen's place. A further issue for Leipzig is that they haven’t played a competitive match in over five weeks. Nagelsmann and Leipzig are up against it but will relish the opportunity to reach their first Champions League semi-final in a one-off game.
Did you know? None of RB Leipzig’s 14 Champions League games have ended in a goalless draw.
Atalanta – The surprise package of the campaign so far with 16 goals scored and 16 goals conceded. Atalanta’s swashbuckling style has caught the imagination of the footballing neutral, similar to Ajax’s run only a year ago when they heartbreakingly lost to Tottenham Hotspur in the dying embers of the semi-final. However, with only leg to play and neutral venues, Atalanta will fancy their chances, especially in the light of their impressive form post lockdown. Atalanta’s post lockdown form has seen them win nine games, draw three and lose one. They finished Serie A in third position - their joint highest league finish. Atalanta’s first three games were very similar to last year's finalists Tottenham as they were winless in all three. In fact, they lost all three and a remarkable turnaround of seven points in the return fixtures saw them sneak into second place behind fellow quarter finalist Man City. So, what have we learnt about Atalanta? They’re not short on form and confidence and with a format that lends itself to the underdog you shouldn’t be counting them out.
Did you know? No Italian player has registered a single goal for Gian Piero Gasparini’s side this season.
PSG -The Parisians’ struggles in the knockout stages of the Champions League are well documented, however given the quality of their attacking players they can never be deemed an underdog. Their 21-year-old French superstar Kylian Mbappe is currently nursing an ankle injury he picked up in last month's Coupe De France final against St Etienne, but he has been spotted in training in the last few days. Although a return to action in Wednesday’s clash against Atalanta looks unlikely, he may play a key role if they get past the Italian side. PSG look to have found a new solidity in European competition this season with ex-Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye playing a central role in guarding their defence. Mauro Icardi has also added further attacking flair with Edinson Cavani seemingly on his way out. The French side are also in the unique position of not finishing their league campaign, as a result of the French federation's early decision to curtail the season in early April. This could give them that extra sharpness in comparison to other teams and help them become only the second French side to lift Europe’s most prestigious trophy.
Did you know? PSG were not founded as a club until 1970 when Paris FC and Stade Saint-Germain merged. However, Paris FC split from PSG only two years later.
Manchester City – Since their Sheikh takeover back in 2008, Manchester City have failed to have success on the European stage. Popular manager Pep Guardiola was brought in to do exactly that but has failed to take City past the quarter-final stage. City have been without talismanic striker Sergio Agüero recently, and it seems unlikely that he will be fit enough to return for their fixture against Lyon – especially too soon for him to start. In his absence, Raheem Sterling has stepped up to the plate, having his best goalscoring season to date. It has been defensively where the issues lie for City this season, with the void left by Vincent Kompany having been unfilled. New signing Nathan Ake will be unavailable to play, meaning Fernandinho is likely going to have to fill in next to Aymeric Laporte. However, knocking out Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid side will be a huge boost to City, who will be believing it could finally be their year.
Did you know? Man City hold the highest record for highest home attendance in the UK; 84,569 fans were packed into Maine Road in 1934.
Lyon – They defied all the odds in the round of 16, knocking out Juventus on away goals. Ex-Manchester United striker Memphis Depay has been electric this season, firing 6 in the Champions League – at an average of 77 minutes per goal – to lead underdogs Lyon to the quarter-final stage. So far in the competition, Lyon are unbeaten at home and could suffer without the advantage of a vociferous crowd at the Groupama Stadium. On the other hand, the one-legged nature of the quarter-final could play perfectly into their hands, as a one-off result against the perceived stronger opponent in Manchester City feels more viable than getting two results. Winger-turned-wing-back Maxwel Cornet scored 3 against City in the group stages of the 2018/19 Champions League and was the only player who caused City to drop points. Underdogs – yes, but Lyon have history in the art of being Manchester City.
Did you know? Excluding the Intertoto Cup, Lyon have never won a European competition, having only reached the semi-finals in both the Europa League and Champions League.
Bayern Munich – Hot off the back of their 8th consecutive Bundesliga win, Bayern will be looking to add their 6th European Cup win to their already elaborate trophy cabinet. The goals of Robert Lewandowski will undoubtedly be key, with the Polish forward having notched 53 goals already this season – 13 of which have come in the Champions League. On the defensive side, Bayern held the best defensive record, too, with Manuel Neuer having kept 15 clean sheets in the Bundesliga alone. Form, however, will be key going into the closing stages of the Champions League and Bayern have been nothing short of electric. They are yet to lose in 2020 and have an unbeaten run of 27 games, winning 26 of them. Manager Hansi Flick certainly knows how to get the best out of this side, even rejuvenating an aging Thomas Müller, and Bayern fans and players alike will have complete confidence in their team to go and win a famous treble.
Manchester City – Since their Sheikh takeover back in 2008, Manchester City have failed to have success on the European stage. Popular manager Pep Guardiola was brought in to do exactly that but has failed to take City past the quarter-final stage. City have been without talismanic striker Sergio Agüero recently, and it seems unlikely that he will be fit enough to return for their fixture against Lyon – especially too soon for him to start. In his absence, Raheem Sterling has stepped up to the plate, having his best goalscoring season to date. It has been defensively where the issues lie for City this season, with the void left by Vincent Kompany having been unfilled. New signing Nathan Ake will be unavailable to play, meaning Fernandinho is likely going to have to fill in next to Aymeric Laporte. However, knocking out Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid side will be a huge boost to City, who will be believing it could finally be their year.
Did you know? Man City hold the highest record for highest home attendance in the UK; 84,569 fans were packed into Maine Road in 1934.
Lyon – They defied all the odds in the round of 16, knocking out Juventus on away goals. Ex-Manchester United striker Memphis Depay has been electric this season, firing 6 in the Champions League – at an average of 77 minutes per goal – to lead underdogs Lyon to the quarter-final stage. So far in the competition, Lyon are unbeaten at home and could suffer without the advantage of a vociferous crowd at the Groupama Stadium. On the other hand, the one-legged nature of the quarter-final could play perfectly into their hands, as a one-off result against the perceived stronger opponent in Manchester City feels more viable than getting two results. Winger-turned-wing-back Maxwel Cornet scored 3 against City in the group stages of the 2018/19 Champions League and was the only player who caused City to drop points. Underdogs – yes, but Lyon have history in the art of being Manchester City.
Did you know? Excluding the Intertoto Cup, Lyon have never won a European competition, having only reached the semi-finals in both the Europa League and Champions League.
Bayern Munich – Hot off the back of their 8th consecutive Bundesliga win, Bayern will be looking to add their 6th European Cup win to their already elaborate trophy cabinet. The goals of Robert Lewandowski will undoubtedly be key, with the Polish forward having notched 53 goals already this season – 13 of which have come in the Champions League. On the defensive side, Bayern held the best defensive record, too, with Manuel Neuer having kept 15 clean sheets in the Bundesliga alone. Form, however, will be key going into the closing stages of the Champions League and Bayern have been nothing short of electric. They are yet to lose in 2020 and have an unbeaten run of 27 games, winning 26 of them. Manager Hansi Flick certainly knows how to get the best out of this side, even rejuvenating an aging Thomas Müller, and Bayern fans and players alike will have complete confidence in their team to go and win a famous treble.
Did you know? Bayern’s manager, Hansi Flick, has the highest win percentage of any Bundesliga manager in history: 88%, which is 11% higher than Pep Guardiola’s spell at Bayern Munich.
Barcelona – Any team with Lionel Messi cannot be discounted from any competition. As the Argentinian proved in the last 16 against Napoli, he can turn any game on its head and almost win games singlehandedly. Against a well-built Bayern Munich however, he may need some assistance from his teammates. Going forward, Messi will likely be joined by Antoine Griezmann and Luis Suarez. Combined, those three have scored 50 goals in La Liga this season. Barcelona have been susceptible to slow starts this season, though, having conceded the 4th most goals in the opening 15 minutes in La Liga. Gerard Pique will need to organise and pull together an unsettled defence to ensure the same fate doesn’t occur against a prolific Bayern Munich side. Still, as we all know, with Messi: anything is possible.
Did you know? Barcelona are in the quarter-finals of the Champions League for a record 13th consecutive year, dating back from 2007/08, where they lost to eventual winners Manchester United.
Our final - Owing to their defensive record, we believe that Atlético Madrid will get the better of Werner-less Leipzig. The winner of this plays the winner of PSG - Atalanta in the semi-final. This is an impossible game to call. Atalanta were by far and away the top scorers in Serie A this season, so one should not rule them out due to their seeming lower pedigree. PSG however will be spurred on by recent European disappointments, and will see this as a great opportunity to perhaps even make the final. Regardless of who wins this semi-final though, we can't see Simeone's men being undone by either of those teams, and therefore expect them in the final. On the other side, recent struggles in defence and attack for Barcelona will not leave their fans feeling confident. Bayern Munich are in excellent form also, and we believe that it will take a special Messi outing for Barcelona to get the better of Lewandowski and co. Lyon have surprised with their performances so far, but with no fans and a game to attack, City's quality will be too much for Lyon to handle. Yet, it seems unlikely that the winner of this game will be able to get past Bayern in semi-finals, so we envisage a Bayern Munich - Atlético Madrid final. That being said, any combination of these eight teams will produce a mouth-watering final.
Barcelona – Any team with Lionel Messi cannot be discounted from any competition. As the Argentinian proved in the last 16 against Napoli, he can turn any game on its head and almost win games singlehandedly. Against a well-built Bayern Munich however, he may need some assistance from his teammates. Going forward, Messi will likely be joined by Antoine Griezmann and Luis Suarez. Combined, those three have scored 50 goals in La Liga this season. Barcelona have been susceptible to slow starts this season, though, having conceded the 4th most goals in the opening 15 minutes in La Liga. Gerard Pique will need to organise and pull together an unsettled defence to ensure the same fate doesn’t occur against a prolific Bayern Munich side. Still, as we all know, with Messi: anything is possible.
Did you know? Barcelona are in the quarter-finals of the Champions League for a record 13th consecutive year, dating back from 2007/08, where they lost to eventual winners Manchester United.
Our final - Owing to their defensive record, we believe that Atlético Madrid will get the better of Werner-less Leipzig. The winner of this plays the winner of PSG - Atalanta in the semi-final. This is an impossible game to call. Atalanta were by far and away the top scorers in Serie A this season, so one should not rule them out due to their seeming lower pedigree. PSG however will be spurred on by recent European disappointments, and will see this as a great opportunity to perhaps even make the final. Regardless of who wins this semi-final though, we can't see Simeone's men being undone by either of those teams, and therefore expect them in the final. On the other side, recent struggles in defence and attack for Barcelona will not leave their fans feeling confident. Bayern Munich are in excellent form also, and we believe that it will take a special Messi outing for Barcelona to get the better of Lewandowski and co. Lyon have surprised with their performances so far, but with no fans and a game to attack, City's quality will be too much for Lyon to handle. Yet, it seems unlikely that the winner of this game will be able to get past Bayern in semi-finals, so we envisage a Bayern Munich - Atlético Madrid final. That being said, any combination of these eight teams will produce a mouth-watering final.
Written by - James McEvoy and Will Murray
Edited by - 3-At-The-Back
Edited by - 3-At-The-Back