European powerhouses await their fate in the Champions League quarter-finals

Also on Tuesday, Barcelona put in a frenetic performance to oust Napoli and reach the quarter-finals for the first time since losing 8-2 to Bayern Munich in Lisbon in 2020, amid the coronavirus crisis. advanced.

Real Madrid, who have won a record 14 times, have already booked a spot in the last eight, with three Spanish clubs taking part in the draw.

They will be joined by two English teams, Arsenal, and holders Manchester City, as well as German duo Bayern and Borussia Dortmund, and French giants Paris Saint-Germain.

Amazingly, a year after Inter beat neighbors AC Milan in the last four and narrowly beat City in the final, none of Italy’s squad progressed to the next stage.

Of last season’s quarter-finalists, only City, Real and Bayern made it to the last eight this time around, suggesting there is still considerable variety and unpredictability in the competition. ing.

But the recent draw in the last 16 was more than a sign of growing polarization at the top of European football.

FC Copenhagen were no match for Josep Guardiola’s City, while defeating PSG proved too far for Real Sociedad and Bayern finished in the final despite losing away in the first leg. defeated Lazio.

According to this year’s Deloitte Football Money League, four of the quarter-finalists earned more than 800 million euros ($874 million) last season, and now only the richest can win the Champions League. You can aim for

According to Deloitte’s rankings, all eight clubs that reached the quarter-finals last season were among the top 15 clubs in the world in terms of revenue, with Atletico having the lowest at just over 364 million euros.

Diego Simeone’s side were the only team to beat a wealthier club in the last 16, and yet Inter only generated slightly more money last season.

The current Champions League format has been in place for 20 years and is set to change from next season, with UEFA set to replace the group stage with a league phase involving 36 clubs instead of the current 32, revolutionizing the flagship tournament. is.

Each club will play eight matches in the league phase, instead of the traditional six in the group stage, all against different opponents in what is known as the ‘Swiss system’.

The big problem seems to be that the number of contenders for the trophy is narrowing, but it remains to be seen whether this will improve the Champions League in any way.

Competition with City is not just a problem for Copenhagen, it’s a problem for all clubs.

They won the championship for the first time last season and advanced to the quarterfinals for the seventh consecutive year.

“It’s very impressive,” Guardiola admitted last week. “We’re respected by our opponents. The numbers are there — our consistency.”

Whether anyone can stop them from retaining the title will largely depend on a draw, with the path to the final to be decided on Friday when the semi-final pairings will also be decided.

2022 champions Madrid may be the best-positioned of the quarter-finalists to beat City, but they were overwhelmed by City in the semi-finals last season.

Bayern advanced to the quarter-finals for the 12th time and the first time in 13 years. They may be behind Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, but they are still a formidable force in Europe.

Three of the remaining contenders – Arsenal, Atletico and PSG – have never won the trophy, with the French side reaching the final in 2020, losing to Bayern.

They are far from a complete team right now, but they will be keen to grab one last chance to win the Champions League before Kylian Mbappé leaves.

“I’m not going to choose any team or say my preference. But what I’m sure of is that no one would want to play for PSG,” said the team’s coach. Luis Enrique said.