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The Round of 16 stage of the Champions League wrapped up last night, and we finally have the top 8 teams in Europe trying to get their hands on the continent's most elite club trophy. After last night's matchday, following are the teams who have qualified for the quarter-finals of the tournament:
Tottenham Hotspur (England)
Ajax Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Manchester United (England)
FC Porto (Portugal)
Manchester City (England)
Juventus (Italy)
FC Barcelona (Spain)
Liverpool (England)
What's interesting is that, after a long time, the Spanish dominance in the Champions League led by Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid has finally come to an end this season, with only Barcelona progressing to the last 8 of the competition.
On the other hand, all the four English teams, who have starred in this season's Champions League, have managed to book their places in the quarter-finals of the competition.
The draw for the quarter-final and the semi-final of the competition will be held on 15th of March 2019, at 11 AM GMT (4:30 PM IST) at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
With Europe's deadliest teams fighting it out to be crowned the champions of the continent, there are going to be some huge games. Let's take a look at the picks of the top 4 potential clashes in the quarter-finals of the Champions League which every football fan would cherish!
Disclaimer: There are multiple possible draws for each team in the quarter-final. But these 4 clashes would be amazing to watch.
Also see : Copa America Standings, Copa America Schedule
#4 Juventus v FC Barcelona
In 2015, FC Barcelona and Juventus locked horns in an epic Champions League final. While the Catalans looked great going forward, the Italian giants showed why their best defence was considered one of the best in Europe. The match ended 3-1 in Barcelona's favour.
However, this season, Juventus are capable of destroying FC Barcelona in every department possible, thanks to their most priced weapon that they brought from Real Madrid at the beginning of this season - Cristiano Ronaldo.
Though many would agree this fixture should be reserved for the final, the football fans would be up for it in the quarter-final stage, especially as Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will come face-to-face yet again.
#3 Manchester City v Liverpool
The race for the Premier League title has become a two-horse race this season, with Manchester City and Liverpool fighting it out to be crowned the champions of England. The Citizens are currently a place and point ahead of Liverpool, who are second in the table.
One big event which could increase the suspense even more is a potential Champions League quarter-final fixture between the two.
It will be interesting to see how the clubs would react and which competition they prioritise between the Premier League and the Champions League. It will also be a repeat of last season's quarter-final, with Liverpool winning 5-1 on aggregate last term.
Both teams are in good form and while Manchester City won 10-2 on aggregate against FC Schalke to reach this stage of the competition, Liverpool pulled an exceptional 3-1 victory over Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena last night.
Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola will be left scratching their heads if their teams are drawn against each other.
#2 Ajax vs Manchester United
Most of the fans would not agree with this, but there is a reason why this draw is second on the list. Right now, there are no other two teams, who are more evenly matched, left in the competition than Ajax and Manchester United.
One more interesting fact is that both the teams, especially Ajax, have shown courage to field young players in the competition. Both Ajax and United pulled off exceptional comeback wins in the previous round to upset heavyweights Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain respectively.
The Red Devils under the guidance of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have been a force to reckon with, while Ajax have been a formidable force in the Champions League this season.
Another interesting subplot regarding this potential match is that Ajax will be eager to take revenge of the 2017 Europa League final, which United won 2-0 in Stockholm, Sweden.
#1 FC Barcelona vs Manchester City
Two teams which every football fan would definitely want to see face each other are Manchester City and FC Barcelona.
A club with whom Guardiola won everything versus a club the Spaniard is building to win the Champions League. If Barcelona and City are drawn against each other, it's going to be a blockbuster tie, probably the biggest fixture yet this season.
While Barcelona remain one of the favourites to win the Champions League, Manchester City have been repeatedly called the best team in Europe by many managers and pundits this season, and rightly so, as the Citizens have arguably the best squad depth.
It will also be unbelievable to see close friends Messi and Sergio Aguero trying to outdo each other, while the midfield battle of Sergio Busquets and Arthur against Kevin de Bruyne and Fernandinho would be one to watch out for if Barcelona and City are drawn together.
The Champions League draw will be held on Friday, 15th March 2019, at the UEFA Headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, followed by the UEFA Europa League draw, on the same day.
