We are officially in the last eight of the 2019/20 Champions League.
The victories of Barcelona and Bayern Munich over Naples and Chelsea last night confirmed the last quarter-finals scheduled in Lisbon next week.
This time it will be a very different tournament as all quarter-final and semi-final matches will be decided in the course of a single match.
There will be no advantage at home and with the likes of Real Madrid, Juventus and Liverpool already eliminated, it is difficult to choose a clear and obvious favorite.
But it never hurts to put your neck on the line and name the team you think will win the competition, does it? After all, football is all about opinion and hindsight.
With that in mind, we ranked the eight remaining teams in the tournament based on their chances of raising big ears in Lisbon at the end of the month.
8. RB Leipzig
Leipzig were fantastic against Tottenham in the round of 16 before the coronavirus pandemic, but things have changed since then.
Their form has been below average in the Bundesliga after the restart and they will not have top scorer Timo Werner against Atletico Madrid on Thursday night following the move of the striker to Chelsea.
Diego Simeone’s team is a scary prospect and without Werner, you really wonder how Leipzig will break into Atleti’s rearguard.
7. Lyon
Nobody expected Lyon to book flights to Lisbon, but Memphis Depay’s penalty against Juventus was enough to send the French team to the Portuguese capital.
Obviously they will be huge losers against Manchester City, but they have a number of quality players and in Depay they have a real match-winner.
Midfielders Houssem Aouar and Bruno Guimaraes were both outstanding against Juve as well. Do we dare to utter the phrase “dark horses”?
6. Barcelona
If it weren’t for the brilliant Lionel Messi, Barca would deservedly be eighth on this list.
Quique Setien’s team is a pale shadow of the great Blaugranas of yore, but with Messi in top form they are still capable of beating any team on the planet.
However, even with the Argentinian’s indisputable brilliance and the temporary bond of a leg, we can’t yet see how Barca can beat Bayern Munich.
5. Paris Saint-Germain
Don’t worry, we know fifth place is an incredibly tough ranking for a team full of world-class stars.
But not only is Kylian Mbappe still in doubt about injury for the quarter-finals, the Ligue 1 champions also come face-to-face with a full-score Atalanta side.
Then there’s the fact that PSG have only played two competitive matches in the past five months and even with superstars in every position, the rust and match fitness will definitely come into play.
4. Atalanta
Remember when we boldly labeled Lyon as “dark horses”? Well, when it comes to Atalanta, that cliché is the perfect description of the exciting Italian outfit.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s side are capable of beating anyone in their current form, scoring 98 goals in Serie A this season.
They’ve also played a lot more games than PSG in the last month or so and on that basis, we make Atalanta the favorite against the French giants – who would have thought that at the start of the season, huh?
3. Manchester City
City were brilliant against Real Madrid on Friday night and also have a decent midfielder named Kevin De Bruyne.
If Pep Guardiola’s team is at their best, they will win the competition. However, they haven’t been consistent enough this season to warrant the ‘Champions League favorites’ label.
Their losing defense will always give teams a decent chance of winning and in the final rounds of elite European competition, this is a big concern. Don’t be surprised if Lyon take advantage of City’s rear.
2. Atletico Madrid
Simeone has never lost a Champions League knockout draw with a team without Cristiano Ronaldo.
It’s a truly remarkable statistic and with the Portuguese and his Juventus eliminated, you feel the stars are finally lining up for Atleti in 2019/20.
Their defense is still solid, they have match winners at the top end of the pitch, and the depth of their team is pretty incredible right now. After all the near misses, Simeone could finally get his hands on the biggest prize of all.
1. Bayern Munich
Do Hansi Flick’s Bundesliga winners really have a weakness? No, no they don’t.
In every area of the pitch, Bayern have world-class talent that performs at an incredibly high level and to top it off, they have the one and only Robert Lewandowski.
The Polish forward has already scored 13 goals in just seven Champions League games this season and the fact that he is leading the line for Europe’s fittest team is truly unfair.
You are really scared for Barcelona.
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