Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal maintain such commanding leads of their Champions League quarterfinal matches that a spot within the final 4 appears to be like all however sure.
Don’t be so positive.
European membership soccer’s most prestigious competitors has a behavior of upsetting the chances.
Barcelona and PSG have very latest reminiscences of how shortly issues can change.
Barcelona was 4-2 up on combination towards PSG early within the second leg of final yr’s quarterfinals – solely to lose 6-4.
In 2017 PSG led 4-0 after the primary leg of a spherical of 16 recreation between the 2 in Paris, however famously misplaced 6-1 at Camp Nou.
Part of what makes the Champions League such compelling viewing is the fragility of even essentially the most commanding leads.
Liverpool trailed AC Milan 3-0 at halftime of the ultimate of 2005 earlier than staging a dramatic fightback and happening to win in a penalty shootout. The Merseyside membership surprised Barcelona on its strategy to the title in 2019 when overturning a 3-0 loss within the first leg of the semifinals by profitable the return leg 4-0.
There are many extra examples of how the tables will be turned when Europe’s elite go head-to-head, which is why nothing will be taken with no consideration forward of this week’s second leg matches.
Record 15-time winner and defending champion Real Madrid must produce another of its well-known comebacks to overturn a 3-0 first leg loss to Arsenal.
If anybody can, Madrid can – but it surely goes into Wednesday’s recreation on the Bernabeu after a run of unconvincing outcomes. Carlo Ancelotti’s workforce has solely received considered one of its final 4 video games in all competitions – Sunday’s 1-0 victory towards Alaves.
The defeat to Arsenal might have been even heavier after being dominated on the Emirates Stadium and got here after Madrid wanted a penalty shootout to beat Atletico Madrid within the spherical of 16.
But Madrid’s historical past is constructed on producing particular performances in Europe. Its run to the title in 2022 was crammed with dramatic comebacks – none extra so than the semifinals win towards Manchester City when trailing 5-3 on combination going into the ninetieth minute of the second leg.
Madrid merely by no means is aware of when it’s crushed.
This could possibly be the primary nice Barcelona workforce of the post-Lionel Messi period.
Top of the Spanish league and on the verge of the Champions League semifinals, Barcelona appears to be like just like the workforce to beat on this yr’s competitors.
Leading 4-0 towards Borussia Dortmund, it could take the unlikeliest of collapses in Germany on Tuesday to stop Hansi Flick’s workforce from reserving its place within the semifinals.
With the devastating goal-scoring energy of Robert Lewandowski and the person brilliance of Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, this appears to be like like Barcelona’s finest workforce for the reason that days of Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez and its finest probability in a very long time of profitable its first Champions League title since 2015.
The post-Kylian Mbappe period goes simply high-quality for PSG. A record-extending thirteenth French league title has already been sealed and there have been standout performances within the Champions League.
After struggling early on within the match, wins towards Manchester City and Liverpool have underlined PSG’s progress beneath Luis Enrique this season, with an thrilling younger workforce that is filled with aptitude.
While much less reliant on the person brilliance of long-time talisman Mbappe, PSG has been pushed by the excellent type of Ousmane Dembele, who’s realizing the potential that satisfied Barcelona to pay as much as 147 million euros (then $173 million) when signing him from Dortmund in 2017. A run of 24 objectives in 18 video games between December and March established him as one of many deadliest forwards in Europe.
Leading 3-1 towards Aston Villa after the primary leg of their quarterfinal, PSG appears to be like in management, however has so usually didn’t reside as much as expectations on this competitors.
Inter Milan leads Bayern Munich 2-1 within the closest match of the quarterfinals.
Davide Frattesi’s 88th-minute winner in Munich gave the 2023 finalist the benefit heading into the second leg on the San Siro.
Bayern, beneath Vincent Kompany, cruised to the quarterfinals and appears like regaining the German league title this season.
Inter could possibly be the darkish horse of this yr’s competitors, having come so near stopping City’s treble of trophies two years in the past.
Published – April 15, 2025 01:16 am IST
