Returning this week is the Champions League, considered the biggest competition in club soccer. There are 4 quarterfinal matchups. Unlike sports in the US, these aren’t played in 7 games series, rather 2 match ‘ties’. One leg (game) played in each home city.
Below is my preview of how I think these matchups will play out.
Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich
A matchup between two European giants. This is an intriguing tie, as both teams boast potent attacks and aren’t known for their defending. It looks like Harry Kane, who is battling an ankle injury, will be able to feature in this game. Unsure if he will start or have to come off the bench, but either way this is a huge boost for Bayern.
Mbappé, who is still managing a knee sprain from December, and Vinícius Jr. will look to use their pace to break quickly. If those runs are cut out, they’ll likely turn to Valverde crashing the box—he’s in exceptional goal-scoring form.
With Jamaal Musiala just returning from injury, it is unlikely he will be able to start this game. Eighteen-year-old Lennart Karl will be tasked with controlling play and getting the ball to Luis Díaz and Michael Olise in dangerous wide positions.
I expect plenty of goals in this one, and the key matchup may be Luis Díaz on the left wing against whoever lines up at right back. If Alexander-Arnold (TAA) starts, it would pit two former Liverpool teammates against each other. TAA’s defensive issues are well documented, and Díaz—currently in outstanding form—will look to exploit him in one-on-one situations.
If Madrid opts to play Valverde there for added defensive stability, it would come at the cost of some attacking threat.
This is a tough one to call. Bayern may be the better overall side, but Madrid’s Champions League pedigree is hard to ignore. Kane being able to feature is huge for Bayern, but still give me Madrid to advance.
Arsenal vs. Sporting CP
This is, in my opinion, the easiest tie to call. Sporting CP have been a great story this season and will not sit back against Arsenal, but they may lack the firepower needed to break down one of the best defenses in the world.
Sporting boast two exciting young talents in Trincão—who is proving his Wolverhampton Wanderers critics wrong—and Pedro Gonçalves. They’ll look to make late runs into the box to create confusion, a strategy that has worked well domestically. However, they haven’t faced a side as organized as Arsenal.
There was some thought Arsenal might rotate with multiple competitions, but with several players withdrawing from international duty due to “injury concerns,” it feels likely Arsenal’s manager Mikel Arteta will go strong here.
After losing to 2nd division Southampton and being eliminated from the FA cup, Arsenal will field their best XI in this game. It’s difficult to see Sporting scoring enough to win the tie. Arsenal’s lack of Champions League pedigree and occasional struggles in big games under Arteta could keep things interesting, but they should still advance comfortably.
Liverpool vs. PSG
A rematch of last year’s Champions League knockout tie, which saw PSG advance after a penalty shootout win at Anfield. The two sides come into this match in very different form—PSG’s attack is healthy and clicking, while Liverpool have struggled for attacking sharpness.
It’s difficult to see Liverpool’s leaky defense containing PSG’s frontline. They may once again deploy Dominik Szoboszlai at right back due to injuries, and while he’s had a strong season, he hasn’t faced a winger like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Liverpool have leaned on possession-based football this season, but to have any chance here, their press will need to be at its best—winning the ball high and disrupting PSG’s rhythm.
They’ll need Florian Wirtz firing and a vintage Mohamed Salah performance to keep pace. As much as I’d like to back Liverpool—the team I support—I am worried this may not be close. After Liverpool’s embarrassing FA Cup defeat to Manchester City, I would take PSG to handle this tie easily and advance.
Barcelona vs. Atlético Madrid
A battle between familiar foes. These two LaLiga powerhouses recently met in the Copa del Rey semifinal, where Atlético advanced 4–3 on aggregate. They also met in La Liga this weekend, meaning three matchups in ten days, where Barcelona won on a stoppage time goal. Losing to Barcelona is not a big deal, but to lose in that way could really hurt Atletico’s confidence going into this matchup.
Diego Simeone’s side is typically one of the best defensive units in the world, built around a compact 4-4-2. However, they’ve been more error-prone this season. The addition of Ademola Lookman, alongside Álvarez and Griezmann, has boosted their attack and helped offset some defensive issues—but it has also led to more open, high-scoring games, often not in their favor.
Barcelona, meanwhile, feature one of the most exciting young attacks in Europe. The absence of Raphinha will hurt, but the likely returns of Jules Koundé and Frenkie de Jong should help stabilize things against Atlético’s attack. Marcus Rashford is expected to step in and should provide width and pace.
With Lamine Yamal, Fermín López, and Pedri pulling the strings, Barcelona should have more than enough to make up for Raphinha’s absence. I expect them to win this tie comfortably.
Other than Sporting CP, no disrespect, we will see 7 of the best teams in the world compete to take the next step to winning Ole Big Ears (the funny nickname given to the Champions League trophy).
Have a take on this? Leave a comment below.