Europe’s footballing elite are set to square off in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals – we examine the biggest winners, losers and surprises so far
Photo: UEFA.com
Whether it’s the rematch between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid, dark horse Monaco who scraped through by the skin of its teeth or bad boy Zlatan Ibrahimovic and his stylish PSG gang, there are many reasons to catch the excitement in the upcoming quarter-final round of the UEFA Champions League.
Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid – 14 Apr
The hotly-contested Madrid derby is a rematch of last year’s UEFA Champions League final, except the tables may have turned this year. Statically, Atletico Madrid (often dubbed the ‘less glamorous’ Madrid team), seems a stronger side than Real Madrid were last season, having taken three victories from Real in La Liga and the Copa del Rey (King’s Cup).
In the last instalment, Real scored a 4-1 extra-time victory and gloriously lifted what had been its elusive 10th European Cup / UEFA Champions League trophy. However, a series of injuries has seen the defending champion struggle to maintain a top four spot in La Liga and it seeks to change that against its city rivals.
Who are the real winners of this tie? The fans, no doubt. It’s going to be pure entertainment.
Paris St Germain vs Barcelona – 15 Apr
Photo: katatonia82 / Shutterstock.com
Did someone say Zlatan? It is always a rematch of epic proportions, whenever Paris St Germain and Barcelona meet.
Although they played each other in the group stage last October, with Barca winning the first leg at home and PSG coming back to win 3-2 in Paris, this quarter-final meeting is akin to settling an old score – especially if it involves controversial Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who recently called on Chelsea’s players for acting like “babies” towards the referee in their round-of-16 game.
The 33-year-old who played for Barcelona during a memorable 2009/10 season also had a bitter feud with then coach Pep Guardiola, over not picking him for games. It led to him achieving cult-status online after making jabs at Guardiola.
Quotes such as, “You bought a Ferrari but you drive it like a Fiat,” (referring to himself) and “An injured Zlatan is a properly serious thing for any team”, have earned him new fans from all around the world. With classic quotes like that – and guaranteed beautiful football from Barcelona – it is a blockbuster match you can’t miss.
Monaco has been underestimated by many. They defend well, have a compact midfield and are dangerous on the counterattack.
Juventus vs Monaco – 14 Apr
French Ligue 1 side FC Monaco is certainly the surprise package in this competition. Monaco barely scraped past Arsenal in its last qualifying match, losing 0-2 at home to hold on dearly to the precious 3-1 first leg aggregate.
It has even been widely suggested that the Italian side were lucky to draw Monaco in the last eight, which sets them up as the team with more to lose in this tie. Avoiding the likes of Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Real Madrid have boosted Juventus’s hopes of making the semi-finals for the first time since 2003, when they lost in the final in a penalty shootout to AC Milan.
“Monaco has been underestimated by many. They defend well, have a compact midfield and are dangerous on the counterattack,” said Juventus and former Manchester United player, Carlos Tevez.
Porto vs Bayern – 15 Apr
It’s safe to say that the bigger winner of this draw is Bavarian giant Bayern Munich, who will meet Portuguese side Porto.
FC Porto will have to dig deep to summon the spirit of 1987 – the year etched into its record books, where it saw off Bayern in the final. Although it is unlikely to pull off the same feat, the golden rule of football (that anything could happen) applies here.
Said Philipp Lahm, Captain of Bayern Munich, “We could have drawn a more uncomfortable opponent. But Porto reached the quarter-finals in convincing style and they showed their quality. For us, it is important to get a better result in the first leg (of the quarter-final) than in the round of 16 [0-0 at FC Shakhtar Donetsk].”
Lahm, of course, is being modest. Bayern has been an absolute giant in the Champions League so far this season, averaging a goal average of 2.88 per match.
“In football today, it doesn’t really make a difference if you play the first match home or away. Porto are a technically strong side; they don’t just defend with a deep line but want to take the initiative as well,” added Lahm, who won the World Cup with Germany last year.
“We will have more possession in both matches, so everything will depend on our performance,” he concluded.
By Ash Hashim
The UEFA Champions League quarter-finals begin on Apr 14. Who are your picks for the semi-finals?
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