It has been the pinnacle of club football for decades and the Champions League is watched by millions of football fans around the world every year. When Manchester City defeated Inter in Istanbul to lift the famous trophy last June, 450 million people tuned in as Pep Guardiola’s side made history with a stunning treble.
Now at the business end of another new season, football followers and bettors are assessing the Champions League odds with eight teams remaining in Europe’s premier competition. From the favourites to the underdogs, fans can place wagers on outright victors, the winner over two legs or on the night, goalscorers, corners, bookings; the options are limitless.
The fact it is impossible to predict is what adds to the drama of the Champions League and this article will attempt to assess which clubs in the quarter-finals could reach the semis and beyond.
Arsenal vs Bayern Munich
Arsenal don’t have the best record against the German giants, having lost seven and won only three of their meetings with Bayern, and to make matters more daunting, Harry Kane will be returning to north London after moving to Munich from Tottenham last summer.
However, the Gunners have been in impressive form this season while Bayern look set to miss out on the Bundesliga title for the first time in eleven years, having trailed Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen who remain unbeaten.
With that in mind, Mikel Arteta and his free-scoring team will be confident of getting the better of Bayern over the two legs though home advantage may likely play a significant role – if Arsenal can take the lead at home, they can then go to Germany knowing what is required to progress.
Real Madrid vs Manchester City
These two heavyweights will meet in the Champions League for a third straight season and it’s set to be a stunning tie. It was City who came out on top last time out, recording a brilliant 4-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium to secure their passage to the final.
Real, meanwhile, came out on top in 2022, winning a thrilling semi-final 6-5 on aggregate to set up a showpiece with Liverpool in which they claimed a 1-0 win to lift the European Cup for a record 14th time.
This time Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola will be going head-to-head in the ultimate tactical battle, knowing each other’s game even more than before having met so regularly in recent seasons.
Both teams will be desperate to win while also battling it out in their respective leagues – City are being challenged by Arsenal and Liverpool at the top of the Premier League while Real Madrid lead the way in LaLiga ahead of Barcelona and surprise package Girona.
Atletico Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund
Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund meet in one of the most intriguing match-ups of this season’s competition with both sides capable of beating any team in Europe.
The two sides have not met since the 2018/19 group stage, where Dortmund won 4-0 in Germany and Atletico claimed a 2-0 victory in Spain. While Diego Simeone remains in charge of Atleti having first taken the reins back in 2011, Dortmund are still looking for real consistency in their performances under Edin Terzic.
Atletico often excel defensively and are one of the hardest teams to break down on the continent, however, Dortmund boast players like Marco Reus, Niclas Fullkrug and Donyell Malen who are capable of getting the better of even the stingiest of backlines.
Paris Saint-Germain vs Barcelona
Lionel Messi’s former clubs will meet in the quarter-finals and now have to compete without his qualities these days. However, the two sides boast squads packed with talent and so it’s set to be an exciting tie across the French capital and Catalonia.
PSG and Barcelona played out one of the most enthralling matches in Champions League history back in 2016/17 when the LaLiga side pulled off an incredible comeback victory. In the last 16, the French side won the first leg 4-0 and took a giant advantage to the Nou Camp but Barcelona were ready for the fightback. Scoring three goals between 88 minutes and 95 minutes,the Catalan club clinched a dramatic 6-1 win to progress.
That game went down in European Cup history but PSG were able to avenge the setback in 2020/21 when they ran out 5-2 aggregate winners at the same stage of the competition. Fans will be intrigued to see which club comes out on top this time around.
Summing Up
The upcoming quarter-finals are set to offer up the ultimate in football drama as the best players in the world go head-to-head in the battle for European glory.
Interestingly, the winners of the Arsenal vs Bayern tie will face the victor of the Real Madrid vs Man City clash and so there could be an all Premier League tie. Dortmund or Atletico, meanwhile, will face the team that triumphs over two legs between Barcelona and PSG.
Whichever teams get through, football fans are set for two semi-finals and an epic showpiece clash at Wembley.
