The world's pre-eminent club competition has reached a critical phase with eight teams left vying for glory and a place in the final in Madrid in June
GettyWho will succeed Real Madrid as Kings Of Europe?This season promises to be one of the most open Champions Leagues in recent times, given that Real Madrid are already out. They had won the previous three editions but their run came to a juddering end against Ajax in the last round. The losses of Zinedine Zidane as coach and Cristiano Ronaldo as star striker, ultimately, proved too much to bear. Zidane is back but too late to rescue the season this time around. Fellow heavyweights Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid are also gone and, given they have occupied semi-final and final positions in recent seasons, there is space for another club to go closer to glory. While Manchester City and Barcelona might fancy their chances more than most, there is a cluster of teams all capable of clinching the title in the Wanda Metropolitano on June 1. We have ranked the Champions League's eight teams based on the ELO rating system.AdvertisementGetty ImagesPorto
Porto will be considered the rank outsiders in the final eight, particularly as they play Liverpool at Anfield in the first leg. Moreover, memories of last season’s 5-0 embarrassment at home in the first knockout round will be fresh. But Porto are a tough proposition this time around. They have added experience to the backline with three-time Champions League winner Pepe and can boast six wins from eight European matches this term. Porto – like Liverpool – are fighting on two fronts and currently are neck-and-neck with Benfica at the top of the Primeira Liga table. There can be no let up. Nonetheless, Liverpool – thanks in no small part to Porto’s many injuries – possess better quality all over the field and will be expected to claim the semi-final place at the expense of the Dragons, who squeaked through against Roma in the last round.
Getty ImagesAjax
It was a coming-of-age performance for Ajax in the last round, demolishing Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu and defying the odds to take their place in the quarter-finals. The likes of Frenkie de Jong, Matthijs de Ligt and David Neres put themselves on the map with landmark individual performances, while few players can claim to have had a bigger impact in the last 16 than ex-Southampton playmaker Dusan Tadic. Ajax’s reward for deposing the threepeat champions Madrid? A showdown with Juventus. The first leg is in Amsterdam but that will make the scale of the Ajax task no easier. Madrid under Santiago Solari were all at sea, both individually and collectively. Juventus are a totally different proposition. It will take another stunning display over two legs for the Eredivisie leaders to pass the Italian champions.
Getty ImagesManchester United
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reward for overturning Paris Saint-Germain’s first-leg advantage and leading Manchester United to the Champions League quarter-finals was a three-year contract as permanent manager. It was a comeback in the classic United style, defying logic and all good sense. Things have wobbled since then for the Norwegian and again his side are very much second favourites for this tie. The only game they’ve won since Marcus Rashford’s last-gasp penalty in Paris was a very unconvincing Premier League outing against Watford a couple of weekends ago. Both Arsenal and Wolves – twice – have damaged United both in the Premier League and FA Cup. Lionel Messi and Co. will be licking their lips ahead of the trip to Old Trafford.