As we enter mid-April, we have reached the all important second leg of UCL quarter finals. Four games will be played in Europe over the next two days, and will ultimately decide who reaches the semi-finals, or the Final Four, if you will. The teams? Chelsea, Porto, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City, Liverpool and Real Madrid. Here’s how the first leg of each matchup went last week:
Chelsea and Real Madrid are the teams that are firmly in the driver seat of their respective ties, while Man City and Paris both have real work to do to see themselves through to the next round.
The match you’ll want to keep your eyes on is without a doubt Bayern and PSG. They played a thrilling match last week in a snowy Munich that saw five goals go into the back of the net. The Bavarians have to be on top of their game to ensure they have a chance to continue to defend their crown as Champions of Europe.
Manchester City are likely the odds on favorite to win the whole tournament, however they did lose their domestic league match to Leeds over the weekend. It could be a point of worry for City fans, or it simply could be a case of a team that had been caught glancing ahead, with their league championship all but won.
Liverpool and Real Madrid is the really fascinating match to me. Watching the game last week, Liverpool were outclassed in the first half, without a doubt. But they made progress in the second half to give themselves a fighting chance this week. Also, let’s not forget their recent history against La Liga giants in this competition:
As an American, it is my absolute duty to mention that there are still American Internationals playing in this tournament. Gio Reyna of Dortmund, and Star Christian Pulisic of Chelsea. Pulisic has had a topsy turvy year for the Blues this season, but he played well last week in the first leg. and scored two goals in domestic competition over the weekend. He could be a huge factor in how far Chelsea progress in this tournament.
I know I’m excited to watch the drama unfold, and hope all of you are as well! In the States, you can watch Champions League action on Paramount Plus, so be sure to get a subscription if you don’t already!
Footy Foster 