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The road to Wanda Metropolitano is set. There won't be any further knockout stage draws as was the case in previous seasons, the teams were instead drawn into brackets. This means that the teams progressing to the next stage will know exactly which team they could face, the instant all QF round matches are completed.
Hopes are high for a Ronaldo vs. Messi showdown in the final, but could it actually happen? We can only wait and watch.
The 8 matches will be contested over a period of 11 days in April, and thankfully, we won't have to wait for 2-3 weeks between the home and away fixtures. This season has been the best in recent years for spectators, one with spectacular yet unexpected comebacks and shocking eliminations of a few favourites to win the competition. The young guns of Ajax knocked out the current holders in an emphatic manner, leaving the door open for a new champion to be crowned after 3 years of Real Madrid's dominance in European football.
Now we will take a look at each tie and who is more likely to progress on paper. These are not any claims or promises, if we've been reminded of one thing this season, it's that anything can happen in the champions league.
1. Liverpool vs. Porto (Bracket B):
Liverpool will be counting themselves lucky to have drawn F.C. Porto. This gives them a good chance to progress to the semis.
Eventhough this has been a season of comebacks and major upsets, this tie is Liverpool's to lose. Porto know they have nothing to lose if they are eliminated at this stage of the competition and will do everything they can to cause an upset. However, Liverpool has enough talent on the pitch to go through to the next round even if they do not play their best.
With the first leg being played at Anfield, Liverpool will hope to secure a good outcome, any scoreline with a clean sheet for Liverpool would be a favorable result.
Team to progress: Liverpool.
Also see : Womens World Cup Bracket, Copa America Standings, Gold Cup Standings
2. Tottenham vs. Man City (Bracket A):
The only tie that guarantees an elimination of an EPL club out of the remaining 4, thus eliminating any hopes of an all English semi finals.
The first leg of this tie will be played at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the 9/10th of April (depending on your timezone). This will be their first ever UCL match in front of their supporters at their new home.
While Tottenham have a strong squad and an exceptional manager in Mauricio Pochettino, City have the best and deepest squad in all of Europe, and one of the best managers to have sat in the dugout. This is the most evenly matched tie in this round of fixtures. Tottenham do not have the need for a large squad at the moment because they are out of the other 2 cup competitions.
Eventhough City have more positives working for them, Pochettino is the type of manager who sets up his teams to neutralize the strengths of his opponents and exploit their weaknesses, which for the most part his players have the potential to execute perfectly.
Team to progress: Tottenham.
3. Ajax vs. Juventus (Bracket A):
After falling short at the last hurdle so many times, Juventus invested in bringing the "final piece of the puzzle" to win them the UCL, which if they succeed at, will be only their 3rd trophy in their long history in the competition (they've lost 7 finals).
Cristiano Ronaldo is a person who thrives on pressure and his doubters. Nothing drives him more than the desire to prove how good he constantly is. With Real Madrid being eliminated by his current opponent, all eyes will be on Ronaldo now.
With the first leg being played at the Johan Cruyff Arena, Juventus will be keen to not lose the first leg this time around, although the Ajax team won't be deterred even if they lose at home.
This has the potential to be the most entertaining tie of these round of fixtures. The youngsters of Ajax turned their game up at the Bernabéu and knocked the holders out of the competition on their home turf. This speaks volumes of the confidence these youngsters play with.
Speaking about comebacks, Juventus managed one of their own against the world class defense of Atletico Madrid, not to mention an Atletico that had a 2 goal lead. Everyone knows who scored the goals, but it would not have been possible if the rest of the team didn't give their absolute best too.
Team to progress: Juventus
4. Man United vs. Barcelona (Bracket B):
Ole Gunnar Solskjær said he'd prefer to play the 2nd leg away. He believes that if his team gets a good result at home, then they can go to the Camp Nou and beat Barcelona just like they did with PSG. His confidence in his players is commendable, but Barcelona is no PSG.
The only other player on this planet who is capable of winning the game all by himself is on a mission to bring back the UCL to Barcelona. At least that's what he promised the Barcelona fans at the start of the season, and that's what he's been working hard towards. There is also the bitter fact that Barca were eliminated in the quarter finals in every year that Real Madrid won, rewriting history and making records with their treble of UCLs.
This season, the winner will be determined by who wants the trophy most, and who is willing to work hardest for it. The tactics, the talent and skills of the players will all be secondary, the deciding factor will be the burning desire to not just to play a good game, in every game, but to win the whole competition and to celebrate with their fans at the end of the season. There are few that can compare to Ronaldo and Messi in this aspect. They have won 10 Ballon d'Ors and 9 UCLs between them, yet neither seems like they are even thinking of slowing down.
Team to progress: Barcelona
