Here we are into the last 8 of the UEFA Champions League! The competition saw 16 teams progress into the knockout stage and after a smashing display and nail-biting performances here we are. PSG, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid were victims to some brilliant comebacks and this show still a mile away from predicting the next champions of Europe.
Some notable performances from the round of 16 were the resurgence of Romelu Lukaku of Manchester United scoring in the opening minute, Ronaldo with the hattrick to push Juventus into quarters and Manchester City tearing Schalke defences to produce a 7-0 win in the 2ndleg. Porto came in as the underdogs of the competition and have smashed through Roma to carve their names into the last 8.
PSG were haunted by past defeats by the likes of FC Barcelona when a beaten-up Manchester United unleashed the reserve team in the second leg and Soljkaer’s Tactics saw a brilliant performance by Lukaku and the winning penalty produced by Marcus Rashford.
The final list of teams progressing into the quarters are-
- FC BARCELONA
- MANCHESTER UNITED
- MANCHESTER CITY
- JUVENTUS
- FC PORTO
- AJAX
- TOTTENHAM
- LIVERPOOL
With so many big names in the pot, the wait is excruciating for football fans and if you’re a fan of any of the mentioned teams then get ready for either some big celebrations or major upsets.
With the quarter final draw on March 15thwe will have a vague idea on who might lift the trophy but this competition is very fickle with its performance as the round of 16 proved.
The quarter final has a history of world class performances from world class players and all we can hope for is a deserved performance by the last 8 this year.
The difference maker is notably the introduction of VAR into the knockout stage rightfully giving teams the goals that could’ve been otherwise disallowed.
All said and done, the winner will probably dial down to who is having a good day on the field and the right tactics from the boss. Most of the teams seem to deserve the trophy but unfortunately there is only one winner and we can only hope that the best one wins it.
