We have reached the quarter final stage of this season’s Champions League and with just eight teams left, all eyes are on the biggest prize in European club football.
England and Spain each have three teams represented in the last eight, with one club from Germany and Portugal making up the numbers. Here we preview the first leg of each quarter final tie.
Benfica v Liverpool
Six time European champions, Liverpool, will travel to Lisbon to face Benfica in their first leg quarter final tie, before the second leg back at Anfield.
Jurgen Klopps men will be big favourites to progress past their Portuguese opposition having knocked out Inter Milan in the previous round.
Benfica pulled off a small shock when they beat Ajax 3-2 on aggregate to make it to the last eight, so they can’t be underestimated.
Manchester City v Atletico Madrid
An intriguing tie will take place over two legs when Manchester City face Atletico Madrid, with the first game being held at the Etihad Stadium.
With PSG going out in the last round, City have become clear favourites to win the tournament, but they must get past a well orgainsed Atletico team before they can dream of making the final in Paris.
City comfortably saw off Sporting Lisbon in the Round of 16, whilst Atletico knocked out the team from the red side of Manchester, 2-1 on aggregate, and will hope to inflict similar damage to City.
Villareal v Bayern Munich
Villareal produced one of the shocks of the Champions League this season gaining a 3-0 win in Turin to knock out Juventus in the previous round. They now face a similarly tough task in the shape of Bayern Munich.
The Spanish side have home advantage in the first leg, but Bayern, who were held to a 1-1 draw at Salzburg in the first leg of the previous stage, really showed their class by putting seven goals past the Austrians in the second leg.
Villareal will need to have a first good leg if they have any chance of progressing past the German giants.
Chelsea v Real Madrid
Another fascinating tie has been thrown up in the shape of Chelsea versus Real Madrid, with the first leg set to be played at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea are having some major off field issues, but their form continues to be good on the pitch and the result in this first game in London feels crucial as to identifying who will make the semi final stage.
Chelsea comfortably beat Lille in the previous round, but for Madrid it was not so straightforward. A 1-0 first leg defeat at PSG meant they had it all to do in the second leg at the Bernabeu. After after falling a goal behind and 2-0 down on aggregate it seemed Real were out. But Karim Benzema stepped up with a 17 minute hat-trick to turn the tie on its head and send Madrid through.
Will there be similar drama in the quarter final stage?
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