Ranking the Champions League Last Eight
March 15th brought the curtain down on the UEFA Champions League’s round of sixteen. Now, only eight teams remain, and there are a number of frontrunners, as well as a couple of rank outsiders. Oddschecker, which compares European football odds and offers, has made Manchester City the overwhelming favourites for the title this year. Can Pep Guardiola finally bring the one trophy that has so far deserted the Blues since their Abu Dhabi-backed takeover 15 years ago? Or will they once again fall to a disappointing defeat, just as they have done in each and every season in Europe’s premier footballing competition?
This season feels different at the Etihad though. Admittedly, as the Premier League ticks into its final third, Pep’s juggernaut are still five points adrift of shock league leaders Arsenal at the division’s summit. But their 7-0 drubbing of RB Leipzig in the second leg of their last sixteen tie was a statement-making victory. And, as if you haven’t heard already, Erling Haaland hammered in a whopping five goals in the win over the side from the east of Germany. The Norwegian powerhouse now has 38 goals in 32 league and Champions League games this season.
But how do the favourites stack up against the other seven teams left in the competition? Let’s take a look.
Front Runners – Manchester City, Bayern Munich & Real Madrid
As we have mentioned, Manchester City are the favourites, and with Erling Haaland spearheading their charge, it’s clear to see why. Their closest contenders on paper appear to be Bayern Munich. The Bavarians had perhaps the toughest tie of all the teams remaining in the competition when they were drawn to face Paris Saint-Germain in a repeat of the 2020 final. But Germany’s Rekordmeister picked up victories in both legs of the tie to secure 3-0 aggregate win and seal their spot in the quarterfinals.
The reigning champions Real Madrid also had a difficult looking last sixteen tie after being drawn against Liverpool in a repeat of last year’s final. However, a 5-2 victory over the Reds at Anfield left them with more than one foot in the last eight, even with the second leg still to play. They managed a 1-0 victory over last year’s runners-up for good measure, and they will be aiming for a 15th title in June.
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Contenders – Napoli & Chelsea
Napoli have been running away with the Italian top flight this season. They are currently a mammoth 18 points clear of second place Inter Milan in the Serie A table, and a first Scudetto in 33 years, and just the third in the club’s history, is an inevitability. They also made a statement on the continent with a resounding 5-0 aggregate victory over last year’s UEFA Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt.
With the Italian side holding such a massive lead domestically, they may be able to rest their star players throughout the final weeks of the season, which would help their chances of bringing a maiden Champions League crown to the Estadio Diego Armando Maradona no end.
While Napoli have had a brilliant season domestically, Chelsea’s campaign has been the complete opposite. They currently sit way down in tenth in the Premier League table however, their plethora of megamoney January signings have started to gel, and the Blues have reeled off three consecutive wins in recent weeks. They have tasted Champions League success twice in the last 11 years, with their most recent triumph coming in 2021. They know how to get the job done and they can never be ruled out.
Outsiders – AC Milan, Inter Milan & Benfica
And finally, we come to our outsiders. Reigning Italian champions AC Milan impressed everyone by picking up a narrow 1-0 aggregate victory against 2019 finalists Tottenham Hotspur. They will fancy their chances if they can avoid one of the tournament’s big three in the quarterfinals.
Their city rivals Inter required a bit more luck against FC Porto. The Portuguese outfit hit the crossbar, the post, and had one cleared off the line all in injury time in the second leg, and had one of those chances managed to find the net, the Nerazzurri could have already been eliminated.
Benfica are the final team in the competition and they will be content with their spot in the last eight. In recent years, the quarterfinals seem to be the furthest possible stage for a Portuguese team, and they are the last team standing to come from a league outside of the big four. They will be aiming to give a good account of themselves in the last eight.
