UCL QUARTER FINALS PREVIEW

Michael Nardi

With the round of 16 complete and the next round draw in the books, I am here to breakdown all four fixtures, plus the predictions of each.

Manchester City vs Atletico Madrid

This matchup is a battle of the differing styles, Pep’s positional play against Diego Simeone’s defensive counter-attack. For Madrid, this matchup will be a much different test than the two legs against United with Man City being both a force in Europe and favorites to win it all. City does have a weakness in terms of scoring goals against low blocks similar to Atletico's, due to the lack of a real number nine in the side. As well, the obvious with City's high line being very susceptible to the counter when teams sit back. However, Atletico will need to move the ball quickly in between the lines like they did against United to expose this flaw. Atletico on the other hand is not the same side that knocked out Liverpool in 2020 or even half the team which made the Champions League Final in years past, this might be Simeone’s last go at a trophy with the club. His tactics seem to be outdated now and the lack of offensive intent has left his side looking clueless in many games, however, being the underdog has always suited his side and may very well be a deciding factor in this one.

My prediction: 4-1 City over the two legs

Real Madrid vs Chelsea

A rematch of last year's Champions League semi-final which saw Chelsea come out on top 3-1 on aggregate. This will have a different feel as both teams seem to be at a level playing field heading in, making for an incredible football match. Thomas Tuchel has become the master of knockout football. His style of play seems to suit one-off games and it has shown in his impressive 32 wins in his first 50 Champions League games. Madrid has been coming back down to earth after a hot start, but with Benzema and Modric leading the comeback against PSG earlier in the month, they have thrown themselves back into contention. Ancelotti however, needs to be careful. His side has looked tired at points this season and rotation will be key to maintaining the high pressing style he demands. The key for Tuchel is being able to find an attacking trio that can punish this Madrid defence just like last year. It has looked like Tuchel has got the best out of his silky German Kai Havertz, but he’ll need to continue that form as his faith in Romelu Lukaku continues to dwindle.

My prediction: 3-2 Chelsea over the two legs

Bayern vs Villarreal

Bayern continued their UCL dominance after smashing RB Salzburg 8-2 on aggregate. It was classic Bayern dominance as they never let their foot off the gas in that second leg. Villarreal completed the win which was heard around Europe beating Juventus in the Allianz stadium 3-0, a tiny city in Spain taking down one of football's giants. A tactical masterclass from Villarreal manager Unai Emery, who got a bit of luck but limited Juventus in the second half and made key substitutions which won his side the match. This one will be a bigger challenge for the yellow submarines, as Bayern will not give in to any side which will be too much to handle for Villarreal. I believe they will be able to hang around at points as they have shown the ability to be strong tactically in order to match well with different sides in the competition but the quality difference will be too much against a team like Bayern.

My prediction: Bayern 6-3 over the two legs

Liverpool vs Benfica

The most routine of the four fixtures, Liverpool will be feasting in this one. The group has done well against Portuguese sides in the past and this will play out no different. Benfica was lucky to escape Ajax as they were outclassed, but managed to get a goal away from home and defend the rest of the match. This will be an opportunity for young talent like Darwin Nunez to shine on the big stage as he has been linked to many big clubs already. The concerning part for Benfica is Liverpool was playing at a sub-par level against Inter and made it through. This could be a concerning scoreline if Liverpool gets back to their very best.

Liverpool 7-1 over the two legs