Club football takes a short break to accommodate March’s international window, but it won’t be long before Europe’s most prestigious competition returns to action.
There’s no shortage of intrigue after the Champions League quarter-final draw UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, revealed four breathtaking match-ups.
From record-time winners Real Madrid and reigning holders Manchester City going head-to-head for the third season running to Harry Kane returning to North London. The sub-plots seem spectacular.
All that makes the Champions League betting options wealthy and appealing as we cast our eyes over all four quarter-final ties to predict the outcomes.
Real Madrid vs Manchester City
A blockbuster between the winners of the last two seasons makes for good reading for football lovers and has all the makings of a ‘final before the final’ type of contest.
Los Blancos had a bitter pill to swallow last season as Man City outclassed them on their road to the title, steamrolling to a 5-1 aggregate win in their semi-final tie.
Pep Guardiola’s men seem determined to defend the crown as they remain the only side in this season’s Champions League boasting a 100% win ratio.
Guardiola made a ‘survival’ admission after the Cityzens eased past Newcastle United 2-0 in the quarter-finals to keep their ‘treble repeat’ dreams alive, per Man City’s website.
Madrid could tear the Spaniard’s ambitions apart, but the perennial Premier League champions should come out on top of this clash between the two continental superpowers.
Prediction: Manchester City into semi-finals
Arsenal vs Bayern Munich
After years of suffering, this could be a memorable season for Arsenal.
In addition to topping the Premier League table, they’re back in the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2009/10.
Everything could still go sideways for the Gunners, particularly in Europe’s top competition, where they face a Bayern Munich side that humbled them 10-2 on aggregate in their last Champions League appearance.
Indeed, 2016/17 was Arsenal’s final season with Arsene Wenger at the helm as the legendary Frenchman left North London at the end of the following campaign.
While this is a different Arsenal side, Bayern will be heavily motivated to halt Arsenal’s relevance in the Champions League after surrendering their decade-long dominance of the Bundesliga.
Kane will be particularly eager to beat the Gunners, given his long-term association with Tottenham Hotspur before finally leaving his homeland for Munich last summer.
Bayern’s chances in this tie may receive a crucial boost after Gabriel Magalhaes withdrew from the Brazil squad due to injury, claims Sport Express.
Prediction: Bayern Munich into semi-finals
Atletico Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund
Atletico Madrid went above and beyond to overturn a 2-0 aggregate deficit against Inter Milan before squeaking into the quarter-finals via penalties.
Diego Simeone’s side will enter this tie against Borussia Dortmund as favourites, even though the overall H2H stakes in the Champions League remain perfectly balanced (W2, L2).
However, the Spaniards can ill-afford to underestimate their German counterparts, who made it out of the so-called ‘group of death’ before ousting PSV Eindhoven in the opening knockout round.
With both sides heavily leaning on their home support, there’s a conviction that if Los Rojiblancos can leave Signal Iduna Park unscathed, no one would bet against them to bow out.
Prediction: Atletico Madrid into semi-finals
Paris Saint-Germain vs Barcelona
Making it out of the Champions League round of 16 is already a big deal for Paris Saint-Germain, considering their habit of exiting the competition at this stage.
Les Parisiens have failed to reach the quarter-finals in five of their last seven seasons. But both times they did, they at least reached the semi-finals.
In an awkward twist of fate, Luis Enrique goes up against his former employers, whom he inspired to the famous ‘remontada’ in 2017 against none other than PSG.
With revenge at the forefront of their minds, the French heavyweights, led by Kylian Mbappe, have an account to settle with Barcelona, but it could be a huge ask.
Xavi Hernandez has announced his departure from the Catalan outfit at the end of the season despite guiding the defending La Liga champions into the Champions League knockouts for the first time in three years.
Barcelona last played in the competition’s quarter-finals in 2019/20, making this contest even more significant in the eyes of the disappointed Camp Nou faithful.
But we believe PSG will add to their agony.
Prediction: Paris Saint-Germain into semi-finals
