Paris Saint-Germain have to win the Champions League the hard way after being paired with Real Madrid in the relegated quarter-finals on Monday, following a software flaw that led to the initial draw – which led PSG to face Manchester United – declared invalid by UEFA.
– Champions League draw: PSG-Real Madrid; Atletico-Man United
– Social media is reacting to the Champions League draw, which never was
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PSG, still trying to win the Champions League for the first time, will face 13-time winners Real over two matches in February and March in a draw in the round. And although the second draw saw them avoid a clash with Mauricio Pochettino’s PSG and Lionel Messi against Cristiano Ronaldo, United did a little better in the draw, landing the Spanish champions Atletico Madrid for the first meeting between the two clubs in the competition.
But while PSG vs. Real and Atletico vs. Man United stand out as the most conspicuous ties in the quarter-finals, Liverpool’s meeting with Inter Milan is a much more difficult task for Jurgen Klopp’s team than their initial pairing with FC Salzburg.
With the controversy over the canceled draw now resolved by the second draw, the leading candidates to win this season’s Champions League can now begin planning their route to the final in St. Petersburg on 28 May. Much may change between now and February, when the Champions League resumes, but with the quarter-finals now on the program, which clubs will advance to the quarter-finals?
There would never be an easy opportunity for the Austrian champions, Salzburg, but after being spared a draw against Liverpool due to the canceled first draw, they ended up with Bayern Munich.
With their first appearance in the quarterfinals after finishing second in Group G, Salzburg will be big underdogs against the Bundesliga champions, who crossed into the knockout phase with six wins out of six in their group. Karim Adeyemi, a 19-year-old striker from Munich, has scored four goals so far in this season’s competition for Salzburg and is set to impress against his home city club. American international midfielder Brenden Aaronson is another key figure for Salzburg, who has played in all UCL matches this season.
Reaching this stage is the great achievement for Salzburg, and it would be the biggest disruption of competition – even greater than Sheriff Tiraspol’s group victory at Real Madrid – if they eliminate Bayern. Julian Nagelsmann’s team were favorites to win the Champions League before the draw was made, but they are becoming even stronger favorites now.
WHO GOES AGAIN? Bayern Munich
Sporting qualified for the quarter-finals by denying Borussia Dortmund second place behind Ajax in Group C, where a 3-1 home win against the Bundesliga team proved crucial. However, Ruben Amorim’s team has exceeded expectations by reaching this stage and they are likely to be beaten extensively by City, who will ruthlessly exploit the defensive weaknesses of the Portuguese champions.
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Sporting conceded nine goals in two games against Ajax, and City have far greater firepower than the Dutch champions. Midfielder Pedro Goncalves, with four goals in four UCL matches, will be a threat to Sporting and so will center-forward Paulinho, but this is a draw that will suit City and it is difficult to predict problems for Pep Guardiola’s team.
The only potential downside for City is that it will be a return to Estadio Jose Alvalade, where they suffered a surprising quarter-final exit against Lyon during the COVID-19-hit final stages in 2020. Beyond a possible unfortunate sign, there is nothing for City. to care.
WHO GOES AGAIN? Manchester By
This will be an exciting bond between Erik ten Hag’s exciting Ajax team and a Benfica team, once again coached by Jorge Jesus, who sent Barcelona down in the group stage. After winning all six matches in Group C, Ajax will enter the match as favorites to reach the quarter-finals, although Benfica will be well-organized and confident of victory.
Benfica’s experience could be the deciding factor, with people like Jan Vertonghen, Nicolas Otamendi, Joao Mario and Rafa Silva likely to be key players against Ajax. Striker Darwin Nunez will also test Ajax. And despite their long-standing reputation for posing with young teams, Ajax also have veterans who will play a major role in the outcome of the match with the likes of Daley Blind, Davy Klaassen and Dusan Tadic.
If Otamendi and Vertonghen can keep Sebastien Haller – this season’s leading UCL scorer, with 10 goals – quiet over the two legs, Benfica will have the advantage. It’s close to calling, but do not underestimate Benfica.
WHO GOES AGAIN? Benfica
0:54
Janusz Michallik explains what lies behind Chelsea’s sudden inability to prevent their opponent from scoring.
Chelsea could have met Bayern, Real Madrid or Ajax in the round of 16, but they pulled Lille out of the hat in both the canceled draw and the real one – good luck for last season’s Champions League winners. After finishing second in Group H behind Juventus, it could have been much worse for Chelsea, but coach Thomas Tuchel expects his team to overcome the French champions.
Although Lille were the group winners that most of the second-placed teams would have wanted to face, they are still a dangerous opponent. Despite losing coach Christophe Galtier to Marseille after last season’s Ligue 1 title success and having had a tough time at home this season, Lille have saved their best performances for the Champions League. Canada striker Jonathan David has scored three goals in six group matches for Lille, while US national team player Timothy Weah has appeared in four matches so far.
Lille is a young team with potential, but Chelsea’s experience and quality are probably too much for Jocelyn Gourvennec’s team.
WHO GOES AGAIN? Chelsea
These two European heavyweights have been paired together only once before in the UEFA competition, where Atletico beat United 4-1 over two matches in the European Cup Winners’ Cup second round in November 1991; this clash marks a new chapter in the Champions League for two clubs.
Diego Simeone’s Atletico have had an unconvincing start to the defense of their Spanish title and are number four in LaLiga, 13 points behind leaders Real Madrid. They also snatched the qualifier on matchday six with a win against Porto that took them from the bottom of Group B to second place, behind Liverpool.
Atletico are unpredictable, with Antoine Griezmann, Luis Suarez and Joao Felix capable of harming United if they do their best. But United are also a difficult team to train this season, with Ole Gunnar Solskjær being sacked and replaced by interim manager Ralf Rangnick in November. They have the goals of Cristiano Ronaldo, the pace of Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernande’s flair, but are receptive in defense.
This draw could eventually come down to the goalkeepers, Atletis Jan Oblak and United’s David de Gea, the latter of whom will face his old club for the first time since switching to Old Trafford in 2011. If Rangnick can get United to click between now and February , they should win a close match.
WHO GOES AGAIN? Manchester United
Europa League champions Villarreal booked their place in the quarter-finals with a weather-delayed win over Atalanta at Bergamo on matchday six, but Unai Emery’s team has developed a habit of leaving it late to win.
Their victory in the penalty shootout over Manchester United in last season’s Europa League final gave them a place in the Champions League, and that victory, combined with their performance in the group stage, proves Villarreal’s endurance. Although inconsistent, Villarreal are well organized under former Arsenal coach Emery and they will be a tough opponent for a Juventus team that has struggled for form this season.
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Janusz Michallik discusses whether Juventus are good enough to win the Champions League after their victory over Malmö.
Juventus were well beaten by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the group stage, and they fought for 1-0 victories against Malmö and Zenit on their way to top group H. Massimiliano Allegri has the better squad, and strikers Paulo Dybala, Alvaro Morata, Moise Kean and Federico Chiesa should give Juventus the edge.
It will be a tough battle and Villarreal know how to get the job done in Europe; of all the last 16 games, this one could go all the way to penalty kick.
WHO GOES AGAIN? Villarreal
Liverpool reached six out of six Group B victories with a six-match victory against AC Milan at the San Siro, but the Champions League winners in 2019 can expect a tougher time against Inter.
Jurgen Klopp’s team will be strong favorites against Simone Inzaghi’s team, but Inter have more quality than AC in terms of taking advantage of the opportunities that Liverpool may offer. Lautaro Martinez and Edin Dzeko will be a threat ahead for Inter, and they have experience in midfield with Nicolo Barella, Arturo Vidal and Marcelo Brozovic. Meanwhile, Samir Handanovic continues to be one of the best goalkeepers in Europe.
Over two legs, Inter could make life difficult for Liverpool if Klopp’s squad is hit by injuries before the match. But even if the Italian champions have the ability to hurt Liverpool, it would be difficult to predict an Inter victory at the moment.
Liverpool want to know that they have been in a match, but they have so much depth that it would be a shock if they did not manage to get through.
WHO GOES AGAIN? Liverpool
It’s a draw that none of the clubs wanted, but it’s the price that Mauricio Pochettino’s PSG had to pay after finishing second in Group A after Manchester City. This is a huge clash between two clubs who simply will not accept elimination at the quarterfinals and it means one of the favorites for the competition will crash out.
It is a clash between Real’s lineage and winning mentality, albeit with a team that relies on the experience of Karim Benzema and Luka Modric, against a PSG team with Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, who undoubtedly constitute the best punch in the game. It also brings many reunions with Real coach Carlo Ancelotti up against his old team, and Sergio Ramos, Angel di Maria and Keylor Navas will face the club, where they previously enjoyed repeated Champions League glory.
The last time these teams met in Paris, PSG won 3-0 in the group stage 2019-20 and they need a win to go to Madrid in the second match. But this one is almost too close to call because both sides have weaknesses that can be exploited. It will be a matter of which team is in the best shape when the match comes, but at this stage PSG’s depth of attack makes them favorites.
WHO GOES AGAIN? Paris Saint Germain
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