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The second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals halved the participants with Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, and Benfica dropping out of the league. Of these dropouts, Chelsea and Bayern were the most shocking seeing that they had a really good shot at the league title. Chelsea were the defending champions of the league.
Bayern’s Demise
Bayern Munich have had a stellar UCL season thus far. They had a strong team and were showing prospects of making it to the finals. The team is no stranger to the UCL title and has a lot of legacy wins that made their chances of lifting the league title feel more likely.
However, their team came undone after coming face to face with Villareal. Their goal-packed stats suddenly dipped and Villareal emerged the better team with a 1-2 aggregate lead despite drawing Bayern 1-1 in the second leg match. It may be that Bayern underestimated Villareal and were overconfident going into the quarterfinals.
Chelsea’s Shocking Surprise
UCL defending champions, Chelsea were shockingly surprised when they faced a revamped Real Madrid in the UCL quarter-finals. No one expected Real Madrid to bring such a force with them and Chelsea were in for a huge shock. Chelsea have been a top-quality team throughout this season of the UCL.
Furthermore, their prospects for defending the UCL title were almost palpable even as they were bound to face some well-deserved opposition from clubs such as Man City and Liverpool. Despite the stellar performance throughout, they went head to head with a Real Madrid playing to Carlo Ancelotti’s tune and faced the music.
Real Madrid’s New Exciting Run
Real Madrid are on fire. They have spent a few years grappling with the transfer of Cristiano Madrid to Juventus, a move that sunk their morale. They, however, signed Karim Benzema and got their spark back. It seems they were always looking for leadership and a leader they could look up to and be inspired by.
Karim Benzema was just that. He came in as a player old and senior enough to have a say in the club and with enough prowess to have a constant impact on the game. Fast forward ⏩ to the UCL quarterfinals this season and Real Madrid whopped Chelsea a stunning 5-4 on aggregate. Chelsea won the second leg match 3-2 but Benzema’s impact on the penalties was like no other leading up to the loss.
Atletico Madrid Fail to Meet the Mark
Atletico Madrid have had quite a good run in the UCL but Man City proved uncrackable even though not for their lack of trying. After two legs of the UCL quarterfinals, Man City beat Benfica by an aggregate lead of only 1-0, even after drawing 0-0 in the second leg. Atletico fought like hell in both legs but just couldn’t meet the mark against a consistent team like Manchester City.
A Man City to be Reckoned With
City are a force to be reckoned with and have been for the longest time. Since Pep Guardiola took the helm and the club was acquired by well-monied investors, City’s fate was sealed and it reads success. Man City are doing impeccably well both at home in the EPL and also in the UCL.
Their consistency is like no other and they have a way to keep a level head and launch constant attacks like rocket launchers in a grimy war. Those attacks keep coming like no man’s business. No wonder we see the likes of Raheem Sterling everywhere on the pitch, working on the next attack.
A Benfica that has Fought to Stay but Just Couldn’t
Benfica are another team that have done so well in the UCL this season. Easily dismissed as a low-quality team, Benfica proved to everyone that they are deserving and got themselves to the UCL quarter-finals. They kept fighting until the last minute, drawing with Liverpool 3-3 in their second leg game but were beaten on aggregate 6-4. They have had a really good run and if they remain hungry, will likely cause a lot of trouble next season.
Liverpool’s Reinvigorated Inspiration
Since the commencement of Jurgen Klopp’s managerial role in Liverpool, the team became very inspired and have reinvigorated that inspiration this season both in the EPL and UCL. Liverpool are becoming the team to beat in all leagues and we can’t wait to see the new levels that remain unreached become topped. The team has done remarkably well in the UCL this season and enjoys a good chance of lifting the UCL title.
