Here’s a look at each series in the wake of the draw for the quarterfinals of this season’s UEFA Champions League:
Arsenal (ENG) vs. Bayern Munich (GER)
The standout storyline here will be the return of former Tottenham Hotspur talisman Harry Kane to London as Bayern heads to the Emirates Stadium for the first leg.
Bayern is the obvious favorite on the basis of its recent history in the Champions League, given that the six-time European Cup winners is into the quarterfinals for the 12th time in 13 years. Arsenal, in contrast, beat Porto on penalties in the round of 16 to reach the last eight for the first time since 2010.
However, Mikel Arteta’s team is enjoying a fine season and is currently top of the Premier League, while Bayern is off the pace at the top of the Bundesliga in what is their final season under Thomas Tuchel is Champions League winner as coach of Chelsea in 2021 — before he departs in the summer.
Bayern has won four Champions League knockout ties against Arsenal in the last two decades, including a 10-2 aggregate win in the last 16 in 2017.
Atletico Madrid (ESP) v Borussia Dortmund (GER)
This series brings together the two teams who are arguably the least strong remaining in the competition on paper, with both currently in a battle to qualify for next season’s Champions League via their domestic leagues.
However, Dortmund topped is group ahead of Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Newcastle United, before beating PSV Eindhoven in the round of 16. Champions League winner in 1997, Dortmund is aiming to reach the semifinals for the first time since losing the final in 2013.
Atletico, three-time losing finalist in the competition, reached this stage after beating last season’s runners-up Inter Milan on penalties at the end of an enthralling round-of-16 series.
Diego Simeone’s team is formidable at home, where it has lost just once in 21 games this season in all competitions. It has often struggled on its travels though, meaning securing a positive result at home in the first leg may well be crucial.
Real Madrid (ESP) vs. Manchester City (ENG)
This is obviously the series of the round, bringing together the last two winners of the competition as they meet for the third season running in the competition, and the fourth time in the last five campaigns.
City is clearly the benchmark in European soccer just now, even if it currently sits third in the Premier League. It won the Champions League for the first time last season after blowing Real away in the semifinals with a stunning 4-0 win in the second leg in Manchester. This is their seventh consecutive appearance in the quarter-finals.
Real had beaten City in the semifinals in 2022 on the way to winning the trophy for a record-extending 14th time. Carlo Ancelotti’s team is on course to comfortably win La Liga and appear perhaps the best-equipped side to stop City, although they struggled to see off RB Leipzig in the last 16.
The Spanish giant has also struggled with injuries this season and may find it hard to cope with such an accomplished City side over two legs, just as it did in last season’s encounter.
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) v Barcelona (ESP)
This pairing immediately brings up memories of the remarkable round-of-16 clash between the clubs in 2017, when PSG won 4-0 at home in the first leg only to lose 6-1 in the return in a stunning implosion.
Barcelona went into the 88th minute of the second leg needing to score three times and duly did so. The Catalan club’s coach at that time was Luis Enrique, now in charge of PSG.
The French club responded to that humiliation by signing Neymar from Barcelona later that year, activating the Brazilian’s 222 million-euro release clause in a world-record transfer. It then eliminated Barca in the round of 16 in 2021, when Kylian Mbappe netted a hat trick in the first leg at the Camp Nou.
Lionel Messi left Barcelona for a two-year spell in Paris at the end of that season, and there is little love lost between the clubs now.
Five-time European champion Barca is in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2020, when it lost 8-2 to Bayern behind closed doors in Lisbon.
PSG has never won the Champions League and this is its last chance to do so before Mbappe departs at the end of the season when his contract expires.
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Ligue 1 must come to the conclusion that the reason why PSG can’t win the champions league is because their domestic teams are so weak. PSG can’t cruise for most of the season and then turn it on at will for CL competition. Not since Marseille won in 1993 has a French team won the tournament. Alas, the French can’t stop being French.
R2, I don’t even watch french soccer…
The lack of viewership is part of the problem. The French have been unable to grow interest in their league. It seems no club can challenge PSG, the Monaco situation being the most recent one that comes to mind.
The French insist on playing French players in their league – more so than almost any but Spanish – this does not serve them well in club context – but in Nation context – no country has more success in the last 20 years – no one even close. So you see – the balance you need. Compare Ligue 1 to MLS – maybe in this moment – more eyes on MLS because of Messi and Suarez, et al, but most players paid peanuts and almost all foreign rosters starting and – USA – missed 2018, struggled to exit group in 2022. All about perspective. Perhaps – soccer as a business in France – less successful relatively speaking – but soccer as a sport – perhaps – the best. Good day.