Champions League: A preview to the quarter finals

The Champions League has reached the quarter-final stage & the draws are out as well. 8 teams have had their dreams crushed in the last round while the remaining 8 teams can still dream of a place in the final at Wembley. Some big names have been defeated in the previous rounds while some unexpected teams have fought hard and made their way into the next one. 

         

        
 18 Yard Box’s Pranav Byatnal takes a look at what the quarter-finals have in store for the football fans.

Malaga vs Borussia Dortmund

        Malaga has been absolutely outstanding in its first season in the Champions League.  Having topped their group, the Spanish outfit was pitted against a formidable FC Porto side in the Round of 16 and they managed to scrape through to the next round. Malaga has a balanced unit and they play a healthy brand of football. However, they will have to face their biggest test to date when they play against Borussia Dortmund for a place in the last four. 

         Although their chance of retaining the Bundesliga title look bleak, Dortmund have been in scintillating form in Europe this season. Dortmund topped the Group of Death comprising of Ajax, Real Madrid & Manchester City (Dutch, Spanish & English champions respectively). Their quick passing is a joy to watch and they have probably been the most consistent team in this competition thus far. The German side are favourites to win this tie but their Spanish opponents are not ones to give up so easily.

Isco is the man Dortmund must watch out for!!

Real Madrid vs Galatasaray

         Having beaten Manchester United in the last round, Real Madrid are one of the hot favourites to win this competition. Their domestic campaign looks all but over and this competition is what matters the most for Mourinho & Co. With a huge squad boasting of world-class players in every department, no opponent should seem very difficult for them. But first, they need to overcome the Turkish test.

         Turkish league leaders, Galatasaray are the surprise package in the Top-8. Players like Sneijder and Didier Drogba have taken the club to a new level. They beat FC Schalke in a hard-fought encounter over two legs and they will have their work cut out against the high-flying Madrid side. Galatasaray will give it their all but the All Whites might just be too hot to handle. 

Real Madrid should advance with relative ease, & if they don’t then it will surely be one of the biggest upsets in the current edition of the Champions’ League.

 Didier Drogba will spearhead the Turks' attack against his former mentor Mourinho

PSG vs Barcelona

         Both these teams are currently on top of the table in their respective domestic leagues and given their form it looks highly unlikely that they would let the title slip out of their hands. All the focus will be on their European campaign. This surely will be one of the matches to watch out for. PSG boast the likes of Beckham, Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva in their ranks whereas Barcelona don’t need any such introduction.

         PSG advanced comfortably by beating Valencia and they are up against another Spanish team in this round. For Barcelona, their victory over AC Milan was one of the most historic comebacks because Barcelona are known to be on the back-foot. Having, won this competition twice in the last 4 years, the Catalans maybe the odds-on favourites to win against the French side, but with loads of quality in their youth in this current PSG side, some inspiring performances might see them pull of a miracle. 

PSG's hopes rest on his shoulders

FC Bayern Munich vs Juventus

         Juventus have come long way after the 2007 match-fixing scandal. They clinched promotion to the top tier of Italian football, won the Serie A last season and now they are in the quarter –finals of the Champions League. They eased past Celtic in the Round of 16, and now they face German giants Bayern Munich.

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         Bayern on the other hand, managed to stay in the competition courtesy the away goals advantage. They in pole position to clinch the Bundesliga and they boast of a phenomenal record of having conceded just 6 goals at the Allianz Arena this season and haven’t failed to score in any of the League games. This is surely the tie of the round and all that one can hope is that it lives up to the billing. Stylish football, World-class players, great history and a relentless desire to win is something both these clubs define. Champions’ League nights are known to be special and only a special performance can see one team through to the next stage.

Can they go one better this time?

Written By,

Pranav Byatnal.                                 

Pranav is an Editor & Writer for 18 Yard Box.