The draw for the Champions League quarter-finals has been made, and there are fascinating and titanic clashes on the cards. We take a detailed analysis and predict which teams will progress to the final four.
PSG v Barcelona
Paris Saint-Germain got the reward for eliminating one of tournament favourites Chelsea in the round of sixteen with a quarter-final battle with the giants Barcelona.
These two teams are no strangers to each other in the recent Champions League history. They were paired together in Group F in this season’s Group Stages, with PSG winning 3-2 at the Parc des Princes before Barcelona got their revenge with a 3-1 victory at the Camp Nou. The sides also met at the quarter-final stage two seasons ago and it was Barcelona who progressed on away goals after a 3-3 draw over the two legs.
Barcelona dumped Premier League champions Manchester City to make in the round of 16. The Catalans won 2-1 at the Etihad in the first leg and won 1-0 at the Camp Nou thanks to a first-half strike from Ivan Rakitic. Their progress means they are in the Champions League quarter-finals for a record eighth successive season.
The French side have historically done well against Spanish opposition, and the loss to Barca in the group stage was their one defeat in their last seven games against sides from Spain.
Meanwhile, Barcelona have not won in their last four trips to France, drawing three and losing in Paris earlier in the competition. You have to go back to 2001 for the last time Barcelona won a match in France.
PSG is seeking to avenge their group stage defeat to Barcelona as the pair clash again in the last eight. PSG host the first leg with the second leg at Camp Nou a week later.
Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid
There is likely to be a repeat of last year’s final as city rivals Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid go face-to-face. In the final back in May it was Real who came out on top 4-1.
A last-gasp equaliser from Sergio Ramos cancelled out a first-half strike from Diego Godin and shattered the dreams of Atletico fans, before extra time goals from Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo gave Real a tenth European title.
Real struggled to make it through the round of 16 where they escaped a major Champions League surprise exit. After beating Bundesliga side Schalke 2-0 in Germany, but conceded four away goals as Schalke won the match 4-3.
Just one more goal was needed for the visitors to cause a shock, but Real hung on. The fans have turned on coach Carlo Ancelotti and the Italian is under real pressure.
Atletico were the surprise side last season, winning La Liga and getting so close to lifting the Champions League. Their form has dipped since 12 months ago after losing some of their key stars, but are still challenging both domestically and in Europe.
Atletico go into the game full of confidence as they have had the better of their city rivals in four of the six games the two have faced off in already this season, with the other two matches being drawn.
It promises to be an even battle between two bitter rivals in what will be their seventh and eighth meetings of this season.
Porto v Bayern Munich
Porto are unbeaten in 10 games in this year’s Champions League, but received a tough draw against Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. It is a repeat of the 1987 final, which Porto won, but Munich have beaten the Portuguese side over two legs in their other two meetings in the competition – at the quarter-final stage of the 1990/91 and 1999/200 competitions.
Bayern have been formidable at home in the Champions League this season, winning all four of their games and scoring 13 goals without conceding one.
More than half of those goals came in the game against Shakhtar, Pep Guardiola side trounced Shakhtar 7-0 in Munich in the second leg of their last 16 clash. Bayern have set a new Champions League record, having reached the quarter-final on 14 occasions.
Porto are in the quarter-finals for the first time in six years and are so far unbeaten in the competition this season. They made it through the last round with a 5-1 aggregate victory over the Swiss side Basel. The Portuguese side will be outsiders in this quarter-final.
Juventus v Monaco
The final quarter-final fixture sees Juventus taking on Monaco. It is a first appearance at the last-eight stage since 2012/13 for a Juventus side who are flying high domestically and sit a full 14 points clear at the top of Serie A.
They are the only Italian side left in the competition and the Old Lady overcame Borussia Dortmund 5-1 on aggregate in the last 16, with two Carlos Tevez goals and one from Alvaro Morata in a 3-0 victory in Germany in the second leg.
History books show that Monaco has never lost to an Italian team in Monte Carlo.
Juventus are likely to be the favourites for this quarter-final but Pavel Neved, the club’s director, was accurate after the draw when he cited Monaco’s beating of Arsenal as a sign they should not be taken for granted.
Anthony Nlebem
