The draw for the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals took place on March 17th. With some of the best teams in the world entering the draw, the quarter-finals look set to be highly competitive. Let’s take a look at what we can expect in the next round of the competition.
Champions League Quarter-Final Draw
The teams that are in the hat for the quarter-final draw were:
- Atletico Madrid (Spain)
- Barcelona (Spain)
- Real Madrid (Spain)
- Bayern Munich (Germany)
- Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
- Leicester City (England)
- Monaco (France)
- Juventus (Italy)
Here is the fixture list for the quarter-final:
- Atletico Madrid (Spain) v Leicester City (England)
- Borussia Dortmund (Germany) v Monaco (France)
- Bayern Munich (Germany) v Real Madrid (Spain)
- Juventus (Italy) v Barcelona (Spain)
With such strong teams making it through to the latter stages of the competition, there is no such thing as an easy draw. Atletico, however, has the closest thing to an easy matchup against Premier League Champions, Leicester.
Atletico Madrid v Leicester City – Champions League Quarter-Finals #1
Leicester is the team that constantly defies expectations. From surviving relegation in 2015 to winning the Premier League in 2016. They are now trying to defy people even further, by trying to win the UCL. This will not be easy, however, as they are the only team that is outside of the top four in their respective leagues. Standing in their way, however, is a strong and organized Atletico Madrid side.
Under Diego Simone, Atletico has been to two finals in the last three years. They are currently sitting in fourth position in La Liga, and with the likes of Antoine Griezmann, they should have more than enough class to overcome Leicester.
Borussia Dortmund v Monaco – Champions League Quarter Finals #2
Monaco is coming into the quarter-finals off the back of an amazing 6-6 game with Manchester City in the last round. They are looking strong domestically and currently sit atop Ligue 1, with Falcao finding the form that moved him to the UK. Monaco hope that they can continue their strong push in the tournament.
Dortmund had a slight scare in the first leg of their round of 16 tie against Benfica. They did, however, manage to bounce back and win the second leg 4-0. Combine this with decent league form and four wins in their last five games. Dortmund hope they have what it takes to reach the semi-finals.
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid – Champions League Quarter Finals #3
Well, this is the game that most people would have been happy to see in the final. Instead, we are treated to this game in the Champion League quarter-finals. This is the opportunity for current Bayern boss Carlo Ancelotti, to go up against his former employers. Bayern is coming into the quarter-finals following the 10-2 demolition of Arsenal. The winner of this game will surely make the final, and should possibly be considered the favorites for the title.
Real are one of the best teams in the world. They are currently two points clear at the top of La Liga, with a game in hand. After defeating Napoli 6-2 on aggregate, Real should be full of confidence heading into the quarter-finals, and look to show once again why many consider them the best side in the world.
Juventus v Barcelona – Champions League Quarter-Finals #4
The quarter-final between Juve and Barca may turn out to be the one to watch, as the best defense faces off against the best attack. Juve comes into the quarter-final having only conceded two goals throughout the competition. Juve is dominating domestically and is likely to take home the Serie A title. They hope that with a strong defense, they can frustrate Barca who looked vulnerable in the last round.
The round of 16 was a time to forget for Barca. Losing 4-0 to PSG in the first leg was something that should never have happened. They managed to turn it around with an emphatic performance at home, but things will not be so easy against Juve. Barca is currently the leading goalscorers in the competition with 26 in total. They hope that the MSN trio can carve Juve open, as they have done with so many other teams this year.
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Who do you think will make it through to the next round? Let us know in the comments below.
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