The Champions League quarter-final participants were determined March 19, and the announcement provided us with a slate of quality matchups, including a rematch of last year’s final and yet another match between players Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Lionel Messi.
Reaching this round is a very big deal for these clubs — only five more weeks of games remain in the 21-week tournament to crown the champion. The first matches will start Tuesday, April 14 after the international break ends. Here are my predictions for the round of eight:
PSG vs. Barcelona
These two teams always seem to face each other; they met in the round of eight in 2013 and were in the same group in this year’s tournament. Despite pulling off a thrilling last-minute upset against Chelsea in the round of 16, PSG are the clear underdogs against Barcelona. Both teams won at home during the group stage, and PSG will also be without Ibrahimovic for the first leg, as he got a controversial red card in their last match. But after Messi’s performance against Manchester City at the Camp Nou, how could you go against him?
Prediction: Barcelona
Porto vs. Bayern Munich
Porto are heavy underdogs against a very strong Bayern side — one that demolished Shaktar Donetsk 7–0 at home. Bayern also have an 11-point lead in the Bundesliga, which means they can afford to rest some key players and put all of their effort into the match. But Porto are in good form, having won or tied every game so far in the competition, something that neither Bayern nor Real Madrid can say. Porto striker Jackson Martinez will be back after missing the last leg with an injury, but it won’t be enough against a fantastic Bayern side with too much depth to go out in the quarter-finals.
Prediction: Bayern Munich
Juventus vs. Monaco
Juventus fans will like this draw, as they are facing the lowest-ranked team left in the competition. Monaco fans will also like this draw, as they avoid the four heavy favourites in Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid. Juventus will be the odds-on favourites in this matchup, but will be without influential midfielder Paul Pogba, as he is out seven weeks after being injured in their last match against Borussia Dortmund. Juventus are stronger defensively than Arsenal, but should be cautious not to underestimate Monaco like Arsenal did at home.
Predicted Winners: Juventus
Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid
Probably the biggest matchup of the quarter-finals sees a rematch of last year’s final between two bitter rivals. Although on paper Atletico Madrid is the lesser team, Atletico seem to have had Real Madrid’s number since the final, having won four games and drawn two against them since, including a 4–0 thrashing in February. Real’s recent form has not been very good, and it will be interesting to see what manager Carlo Ancelotti does to try to repair the situation. Atletico barely got through to this stage, having to win on penalties. It will be a very even matchup, but I think Atletico can pull off an upset here and advance.
Prediction: Atletico Madrid
