Six of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finalists have already been confirmed with Atletico and Benfica joining Bayern, Liverpool, City and Real Madrid in the next round.
On the eve of the quarter-final draw, we evaluate the teams that aspire to reach May 28th dateFrom stats and form to the main players.
Why can you win the title?
It suffices to see the tenacity with which Atleti beat Manchester United in the Round of 16 to realize that they can go ahead and surprise anyone in this competition. They are such a strong and skilled defensive soccer team that no one wants to be paired up with them in the draw.
UEFA Ranking: 10
Best result in the European Cup: runners-up (1973/74And the 2013/14And the 2015/16)Last season: Round of 16 (losing 3-0 on aggregate to Chelsea)
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Balance: 3V 2E 3D 9GF 9GC
Top scorer: Antoine Griezmann (4)
Round of 16: 2-1 on aggregate against Man United
Second group: runner-up
Your season so far
Atleti was not the best of the season in the Champions League, as they barely made it through the group stage. However, against United, the team took a 180-degree turn that could be in time.
Main player: Joao Felix
Like Atlético, the Portuguese forward has grown through the season and has become a key player in the squad. His speed, strength and ability to work made him an inevitable player for Diego Simeone, while his youth, cunning and eye for goal made him an idol for Atleti fans.
Coach: Diego Simeone
Simeone led the Spanish team to two wins in the European League, the European Super Cup twice and the Champions League final twice. Last season, he added a second league title to show that his powers are still intact.
Did you know?
Atleti is the only team that has reached three finals and has not yet won the tournament.
Why can you win the title?
Very simple, because it is Bayern. As long as it’s in play, you can win. More difficult challenges lie ahead in the next round, but with Robert Lewandowski in brilliance there is no reason why the Bavarians can’t go all out and claim their seventh European title.
UEFA Ranking: 1
Best result in the European Cup: a hero (1973/74And the 1974/75And the 1975/76And the 2000/01And the 2012/13And the 2019/20)
Last season: Quarter-finals (eliminated by twice the value of away goals against Paris)
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Balance: 7V 1E 0D W7 D1 30GF 5GC
Top scorer: Robert Lewandowski (12)
Round of 16: 8-2 on aggregate against Salzburg
The fifth group: the hero
Your season so far
Aside from the draw in Salzburg, Bayern’s campaign has been virtually flawless. Seven wins in eight matches, 30 goals scored and only five conceded: the statistics speak for themselves. But it is what he does from now on that will determine the success of Julian Nagelsmann’s first season at the helm.
Main Player: Robert Lewandowski
The ruthless Polish gunner reached new heights last year, Set the record for 41 goals in the German LeagueWith which Bayern Munich was crowned champion for the ninth time in a row. This season he is still at his best, adding 12 goals, leaving him in 3rd place in the all-time top scorer in the UEFA Champions League.
Coach: Julian Nagelsmann
The 34-year-old is proving to be a worthy successor to Hansi Flick after several strong performances by his team and their journey through the group stage. In 2016, he became the youngest coach in Bundesliga history when he took over Hoffenheim at the age of 28, and led them to the UEFA Champions League by finishing fourth the following year. He continued to shine in two seasons with RB Leipzig before joining Bayern in the summer.
Did you know?
Bayern extended their unbeaten Champions League away record to 22 games, thanks to a Kingsley Coman goal in the last minute. The first leg of the round of 16 in Salzburg.
UEFA Ranking: 26
Best result in the European CupChampion (1960/61, 1961/62)
Last season: UEFA Europa League Round of 32 (4–3 aggregate loss to Arsenal)
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Balance: 2V 3E 2D 9GF 11GC
Top scorer: Darwin Nunez (4)
Round of 16: 3-2 on aggregate against Ajax
Fifth group: runner-up
More coming soon
Why can you win the title?
similarity with 2019 UEFA Champions League winning campaign is that Liverpool nationally is chasing a runaway Manchester City and it seems that achieving that goal always brings out the best in Jurgen Klopp’s squad. When they’re at their best, and everything works in destructive unison, it’s hard to see anyone standing up against this team. If we add the Anfield factor to this, anything is possible.
UEFA Ranking: 3
Best result in the European Cup: a hero (1976/77And the 1977/78And the 1980/81And the 1983/84And the 2004/05And the 2018/19)
Last seasonQuarter-finals (3-1 loss on aggregate against Real Madrid).
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Balance: 7V 0E 1D 19GF 7GC
Top scorer: Mohamed Salah (8)
Round of 16: 2-1 on aggregate against Inter
The second group: the hero
Your season so far
Liverpool faced stiff competition: in fact, of their rivals so far, only Atlético had won the championship. Therefore, what is most impressive is that the team has an almost perfect record, eight matches and only one loss in the second leg against Inter. In fact, just Nerazzurri They put Klopp’s men in trouble, but, like any great team, they find a way to win.
Most important player: Mohamed Salah
The Egyptian striker has been the star of this squad since joining from Roma in 2017. The Basel star who first landed in England with Chelsea in 2014, has truly proven that he is one of the best players since joining Liverpool. His pace, intelligence and finishing helped him score 33 goals in the UEFA Champions League for the English club, and he appears to have progressed significantly this year.
Coach: Jurgen Klopp
Liverpool coach since 2015, Klopp led the “Reds” team to win the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League They won their first league title in 30 years the following season. The striker-turned-defender in Mainz lifted two Bundesliga titles with Dortmund before arriving at Anfield.
Did you know?
Liverpool have been European champions six times, more than any other English team. This is the same number of titles as Bayern Munich, with Milan and Real Madrid being the only teams to have won more.
Why can you win the title?
There are only one or two teams left in the competition, if any, that can handle City’s relentless pressure. Their profound strength is unmatched across Europe, while their thirst to win the Champions League for the first time remains as fierce as ever. After all, they couldn’t have been closer in Porto this past May.
UEFA Ranking: two
Best result in the European Cup: Second place (2020/21)
Last seasonRunners-up (1–0 loss to Chelsea)
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Balance: 5V 1E 2D 23GF 10GC
Top scorer: Riyad Mahrez (6)
Round of 16: 5-0 on aggregate against Sporting Lisbon
The first group: the hero
Your season so far
Unfortunately, for City’s quarter-final opponent, there is still room for improvement. The Group A champions have lost two of their three away matches, albeit by a narrow margin, keeping only clean sheets in this season’s round-of-16 competition in Lisbon. Despite this lopsided 5-0 win, Guardiola then insisted that his team needed to do more, a terrifying prospect.
Main Player: Kevin De Bruyne
The 30-year-old crossed 250 caps for the club last season and remains a curious figure in midfield despite the wealth that surrounds him. His start to the campaign was rather slow, but he seems to be back to his best, and has been scoring in key matches since the end of the group stage.
Coach: Josep Guardiola
One of the most successful coaches in football, the 51-year-old has won this competition twice with Barcelona. He won three league titles, led by Barcelona, Bayern and City.
Did you know?
Guardiola reached the semi-finals of the Champions League last season for the eighth time, the largest number in the history of the tournament alongside Jose Mourinho.
Why can you win the title?
If he is able to reverse that draw against Paris, against all odds, there is nothing he can resist. Two younger, active and less used players were the French team’s elimination champions: Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga. Its effects must continue to climb. But the 70 goals contributed by Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior this season make us think of a potential champion.
UEFA Ranking: 5
Best result in the European Cup: a hero (1955/56And the 1956/57And the 1957/58And the 1958/59And the 1959/60And the 1965/66And the 1997/98And the 1999/2000And the 2001/02And the 2013/14, 2015/16And the 2016/17And the 2017/18)
Last seasonSemi-finals (1-3 total loss to Chelsea)
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Balance: 6V 0E 2D 17GF 5GC
Top scorer: Karim Benzema (8)
Round of 16: 3-2 on aggregate against Paris
Fourth group: the hero
Your season so far
Real Madrid overcame their surprise home defeat to Sherif to win their last four group stage matches to win Group D. However, the last 16 match with Paris proved to be a tougher test on your nerves. The 2-0 deficit on aggregate for the French side seemed too big of an obstacle to overcome, but Benzema punched a hole in the Paris shield and raised hopes of more European glory.
Most Valuable Player: Karim Benzema
Many wondered where Real Madrid’s goals would come from when Cristiano Ronaldo left in 2018, but the French striker took another step to become the club’s star. Earlier this season, he scored Real Madrid’s 1,000th European Cup goal against Shakhtar, then overturned the Round of 16 against Paris with a hat-trick in the second half.
Coach: Carlo Ancelotti
The coach who led Real Madrid to the “tenth cup” in 2014, returned last summer for a second stage in the team’s training. He is one of three coaches who have won the European Cup and the European Champions League three times.
Did you know?
Real Madrid scored in their last 23 matches in the Champions League round of 16 before they drew 0-0 in Paris in the first leg of this season.
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