Julius OkorieThe stage is set for the two legged quarterfinals of the 2024/2025 Champions League. Getting to this stage did not come easy for the eight teams left in the race, viz Arsenal, Real Madrid, Aston Villa, PSG, Barcelona, Borrussia Dortmund, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich.
The quarterfinalists appear fairly balanced talking about teams emerging from the major leagues. Two English teams in Aston Villa and Arsenal, two teams from La Liga, Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe Bundesliga produced Bayern Munich and Borrussia Dortmund with the Serie A and Ligue 1 boasting of a team each in Inter Milan and PSG.
The quarterfinal fixtures is certainly interesting and promises to be a must watch for not just lovers of the game but die-hard followers of the UEFA Champions League.
Frist leg quarterfinal clashes are billed for April 8 and 9 with the second leg lined up for April 15 and 16 respectively.
Arsenal Against Real Madrid:
The last leg of the round of 16 proved decisive. Arsenal who take on Real Madrid, in the first leg, quarterfinals on April 8, were superb in their round of 16 finishing.
Posting a 9-3 aggregate against PSV was certainly not cheap. It shows the Gunners ability to deliver the goals on a good day, but can the Emirate landlords maintain the tempo?
Real Madrid making it to the quarters was even more dramatic with that controversially disallowed Athletico Madrid penalty by Julian Alvarez that would have made a huge difference.
But with eventual 4-2 win for Real Madrid, and the fight to the finish that went into it, Arsenal certainly have a lot on their hands against Madrid.
Hosting the first leg against Real Madrid looks like an advantage which the Gunners can capitalise upon. A resounding victory against Madrid at home could be a sure ticket to the semis. But Real Madrid has never been a soft nut to crack.
Even if the Champions league reigning Champions lose the first leg at the Emirates, reversing the trend at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is highly possible.
This fixture leaves 50:50 chances to progress for both teams.
Bayern Munich Against Inter Milan:
Bayern Munich and Inter Milan will surely be interesting. Bayern Munich could be said to have enjoyed a jolly ride against fellow Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16, winning both legs and ending up with 5-0 aggregate.
Same goes for Inter Milan who equally had a good show against Feyenoord, winning both legs with 4-1 aggregate.
If both Bayern Munich and Inter Milan had taken it easy in the last 16 owing to the quality of opposition, their quarterfinal pairing will demand more than mere average performance.
Bayern Munich hosts the first leg and if Inter Milan desires to advance, must avoid heavy defeat in Germany.
Should that happen turning the table in Milan will not come easy as Bayern Munich are not known to give up easily. Bayern Munich stands 55:45 ratios to advance to the semis.
PSG Against Aston Villa:
Lucky PSG had the better of Liverpool in the last 16. The encounter between both teams was starved of goals with Liverpool earning a lone goal victory in the first leg in France and PSG returning to win by same margin at the Anfield.
Penalties being anybody’s game favoured PSG converting all four penalties with only Salah converting for Liverpool.
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PSG may have been lucky against Liverpool but facing Aston Villa who made mincemeat of Club Brugge in the last 16 may not be that easy.
Villa won both home and away finishing with 6-1 aggregate to announce their readiness for quarterfinal showdown, but with a rampant side like PSG, Villa will need to maintain the tempo. The odds however favour PSG ratio 60:40 to advance especially considering that PSG host the first leg of the two legged quarterfinal clashes.
Aston Villa have tested the fun of winning the Champions Legue in 1982 and working to clinch it again after 43 years may not be a bad idea hence the hunger to fight on.
Barcelona Against Borrussia Dortmund:
Veterans Barcelona host Borrussia Dortmund in the first leg of the quarterfinals on April 9, and the Nou Camp.
The last 16 fight against Benfica was relatively smooth for Barcelona who both home and away with 4-1 aggregate. Dortmund on the other hand survived a scare against Lille but came out on top with slim 3-2 aggregate. It will not be easy for Dortmund against Barcelona who have five titles in the kitty and are eager to increase the tally in the prestigious championship.
The odds favour Barcelona to survive the two legged clash riding on wealth of experience in the championship.
The Champions League quarterfinals promises to be full of fireworks and should the teams rise to the occasion advancing to the semis will not come easy, but in the long run Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, PSG and Barcelona stand better chance of advancing, but like they say in football anything can happen, possibilities of surprises can never be ruled out.
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
