Champions League Quarter Finals Predictions
Yesterday, UEFA officials in Nyon, Switzerland picked the matchups for this year's Champion League's Quarter Finals. The results resulted in four competitive and interesting matchups. Below, find a preview and prediction for each matchup.
Juventus vs. Real Madrid
In a rematch of last year’s Champions League final, Juventus and Real Madrid meet again, this time in the in the quarterfinals. The Italian side, led by Dybala and Higuain are coming off a brilliant come from behind win against Tottenham. On the other hand, Los Blancos are coming off a rout of Paris Saint-Germain, a team who lost leading midfielder Neymar to a gruesome injury. This matchup could be a very interesting matchup. The most important factor in this matchup is the fact that it is a two leg series. This allows Juventus to come back if necessary and would allow them to become successful. So far this season, Zidane’s side has been quite disappointing while Allegri’s side is currently the top of the very competitive Serie A.
Barcelona vs. Roma
The series between Messi’s Barcelona and Dzeko’s Roma would certainly be a very competitive and offensive matchup. First-placed Barcelona has finally found its chemistry with each other. After finally introducing Dembele and Coutinho into their lineup, both Messi and Suarez have flourished, greatly improving Barcelona’s offense. On the other hand, Roma’s attack, featuring Dzeko and El Shaarawy, has been very powerful, leading to their success not only in the Champions League, but in the Serie A. Roma is coming of a rather easy and uninteresting win against Shakhtar Donetsk. On the other hand, Barcelona is on high spirits after defeating a relatively difficult opponent in Chelsea. This matchup leans towards Barcelona as they are more developed on both sides of the ball with a superb offense. Although Allison can try his best to defend Roma, he cannot do everything for this club. Expect Barcelona to cruise to an easy win.
Liverpool vs. Manchester CIty
This series is a dream come true for all Premier League fans. Mohamed Salah has completely turned around the Liverpool attack. On the other hand a balanced effort on both offense and defense has allowed Manchester City go on a historic run throughout all competitions. Manchester CIty’s strong offense coupled with their stingy defense has overpowered all opponents. Additionally, exceptional play from De Bruyne has propelled City to such great levels. On the other hand, Liverpool’s offense, led by Firmino and Salah, have provided enough firepower to defeat opponents. This trio of forwards paired with midfielders like Alex Oxlade- Chamberlain and Sadio Mane have catalyzed the Reds to the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Liverpool is coming off a 5-0 aggregate win over FC Porto. Manchester City, similarly, cruised through to an easy defeat of FC Basel. Both teams have enough starpower to propel them into the semis. The Reds’ offensive wizardry paired with their amazing defense led by Virgil Van Dijk is enough to lead Jurgen Klopp’s side to victory over Manchester CIty.
Sevilla vs. Bayern Munich
This international series between Bayern Munich and Sevilla is an exciting matchup because it could go either way. This Sevilla side led by midfielder Ever Banega and forward Wissam Ben Yedder have played lights-out in the La Liga and Champions League. After beating the difficult Manchester United, Bayern Munich is on upset alert against the high-flying Spanish side. Bayern Munich, on the other hand, played a relatively easy matchup, where the most exciting moment was when a cat invaded the pitch. Bayern Munich, led by the likes of Lewandowski and Muller, has excelled in domestic games as it holds a comfortable lead in the Bundesliga. Bayern Munich’s defense and offense will need to be in form against the pesty and challenging offense. Although this might be an interesting match, the German side will be able to avoid an upset and defeat Sevilla to advance to the semi finals