Given the lack of British interest, it may have slipped under your radar that the Champions League resumes this week.
Football royalty will be battling it out in the first legs of the quarter finals tomorrow and on Wednesday, with a line-up that looks a bit like this.
The official result of the #UCLdraw: Which quarter-final are you looking forward to most? pic.twitter.com/wl7CACbUOn
— Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 20, 2015
If the lack of British sides has left you wondering who to throw your weight behind, fear not. We’re here to guide you through…
Atletico Madrid
Might they win?
They made the final last year and were unlucky not to beat city rivals Real. Their quarter-final is a replay of that game, which is about as tough as it gets, but if they can get through it they’re serious contenders. Diego Simeone’s side haven’t been quite as good as last year, but they have met Real six times this season and not lost yet.
Support them if…
You love a comeback story. Fernando Torres, back at his boyhood club, scoring the winner in the final? Who wouldn’t want to see that?
Real Madrid
Might they win?
They have a ludicrous amount of talent in their team, spearheaded, of course, by Cristiano Ronaldo. They’re third favourites with the bookies at 4/1, and we reckon that’s not a bad price – though their recent record against Atletico is a worry. They beat Granada 9-1 recently, so make of that what you will.
Support them if…
You’re a patriotic Brit. There is still some British representation left in the tournament and his name is Gareth Bale.
Juventus
Might they win?
It’s hard to know. They’re comfortably top of Serie A, but it’s a relatively weak division, and they lost a couple of games in the group stage. If their biggest test so far has been their last-16 game against Borussia Dortmund, they passed it with flying colours, winning 5-1 on aggregate. The bookies make them fourth favourites.
Support them if…
You think goals are overrated. With the likes of Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini and keeper Gianluigi Buffon, Juve have one of the best defences going. If they do win the tournament, it won’t necessarily be pretty.
Monaco
Might they win?
We’re tempted to say there’s no chance – but we’d have said there was no chance of them beating Arsenal, too, and look what happened there. Along with Porto, they’re probably the weakest team left in the tournament, but with enough talent to make life uncomfortable for Juve.
Support them if…
You’re all about the glamour. There’s no place more glamorous than Monte Carlo and no player more glamorous than Dimitar Berbatov. They’re a good looking bunch, too.
Porto
Might they win?
They have to get past Bayern first. Their best hope for that might be the German champions’ extensive injury list, but even if they do somehow overcome Pep Guardiola’s team there are just too many good sides in the tournament for Porto to win the trophy.
Support them if…
You’re a football hipster. Barcelona and Real Madrid are way too mainstream – you’d rather watch Yacine Brahimi and Vincent Aboubakar any day.
Bayern Munich
Might they win?
They very definitely might. Over the last couple of years, Guardiola has had them playing some of the best football we’ve seen. German football is on a high after the World Cup, and we fully expect Bayern, the bookies’ favourites, to at least reach the final. The only real issue is injuries – they had only 14 fit players ahead of the weekend game against Eintracht Frankfurt. They still won 3-0, mind.
Support them if…
You’re a football aesthete. Football rarely looks better than when it’s played by Bayern.
Paris St Germain
Might they win?
In theory, PSG are on for a quadruple. They won the Coupe de la Ligue at the weekend, they’re in the final of the Coupe de France and they’re top of Ligue 1 – just. Surely the toughest leg of that feat will be the Champions League, where they will have to field a weakened side to face Barcelona this week. David Luiz and Thiago Motta are injured, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marco Verratti are suspended – that’s a hell of a quartet to cope without against anyone, never mind against Barca.
Support them if…
You dare to Zlatan. PSG will certaibly have to if they’re going to cope without him.
Barcelona
Might they win?
They might indeed. They’ve had some good fortune to be facing a depleted PSG team this week and will want to make the most of that advantage. Either way, they should really be pushing for a place in the final – they may no longer be the all-round great Barca side of recent years, but with a front three of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez, it doesn’t take a genius to work out where their strength lies.
Support them if…
You can bring yourself to support a team with Suarez in it.
Source: SNAPPA
