The Champions League draw last week pitted some great teams together, as the road to the final becomes clearer. A set of 4 Quarter-Final matchups will take place in April, with the Semi-Final to follow until we reach the judgment day on May 29. Let’s take a closer look at the upcoming matches and see who’s the favorite to lift the trophy this year. This is the UEFA Champions League 2021 – Road To Istanbul.
Date & Fixtures
Before we start with our draw analysis, let’s take a look at the upcoming fixtures and when will they be played. We start with the Quarter-Finals of course and move along to reach the final.
- Quarter-Finals:
- Manchester City Vs Borussia Dortmund
- Real Madrid Vs Liverpool
- Porto Vs Chelsea
- Bayern Munchen Vs Paris Saint-Germain
The quarter-final first legs take place on Tuesday 6 and Wednesday 7 April, with the returns set for Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 April.
- Semi-Final:
- Winner Of (Madrid – Liverpool) Vs Winner Of (Porto – Chelsea)
- Winner Of (City – Dortmund) Vs Winner Of (Bayern – PSG)
The semi-final ties are scheduled for 27-28 April (First Legs) and 4-5 May (Second Legs).
As for the final, the winner of semi-final 1 will be considered the home team for this season’s final, which is being staged at the Atatรผrk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, on Saturday 29 May.
Quarter-Final Showdown – Who Will Go Through?
Let’s break down the QF fixtures and see who is more likely to go through. After that, we’ll take a look at the potential SF fixtures to see who is the favorite to reach the final. In the end, feel free to state your opinion in the comment sections.
Manchester City Vs Borussia Dortmund
We start things of with the above matchup, as both teams are clearly on different paths this season but for this fixture, the goal remains the same. Reach the next stage! Let’s be honest, City are clearly favorites to win the title this year. However, not all teams can cope with the expectations and pressure that comes with it. The opponents are a stubborn German side, that despite the inconsistency this season, have enough to make life difficult for the English side.
There will be a lot of key factors for this matchup. Former City academy player Jadon Sancho, along with this year’s CL top scorer Erling Haaland and captain Reus will run the show for Borussia. Will Haaland give Pep another reason to buy him next season? And of course, ฤฐlkay Gรผndoฤan will face some familiar faces as he played for Dortmund before his move to Manchester. Who will go through eventually?
FC Porto Vs Chelsea FC
Next up, we have an interesting battle between the underdogs of this stage and a reborn English side that will look to keep going. Thomas Tuchel’s life at Chelsea is getting more and more attention, as it should. They are still unbeaten in 14 games under him (W10 D4) so far, while conceding just 2 goals and keeping seven consecutive clean sheets. The Blues eliminated Atletico Madrid with 2 strong performances, can they keep the form going?
On the other hand, Porto are a surprise package in this stage as they eliminated Juventus in a dramatic fashion. Despite playing with 10 men, they secured a crucial 2nd goal deep in Extra Time to go through in Turin. Not only that, but they were also able to control Ronaldo in both legs with some incredible defence. They will go against another great defensive side in Chelsea. Are we in for another Extra Time thriller here?
Bayern Munchen Vs Paris Saint-Germain
The most talked matchup is a rematch of last year’s final. This time, Bayern and PSG will go head to head in 2 legs to secure a place in the Semis. Along with City, Bayern are also the favorites to retain the title this year. With the depth of the squad, Flick’s mastermind and Lewandowski’s prolific form, they will be tough to stop. The Polish striker has 42 goals in 36 games this season for Bayern Munich. No other player in Europe has 30! It’s clear that he took last year’s Ballon D’or snub personally, and is on a mission to secure it this year. He scored a perfect Hat-Trick (Right foot. Header. Left foot) against Stuttgart last week in just 22 minutes, despite Bayern playing with 10 men. A reminder that the winner from this QF will meet the winner from City – Dortmund. So we can actually witness a City-Bayern Semi-Final!
However, it won’t be a walk in the park for Bayern, as they are set to face a rejuvenated PSG side. The Capital team replace Tuchel with Pochettino, in hopes of reaching the summit again but this time secure the trophy. Mbappe has been in an incredible form this season, as he now reached the 100 goals mark in the weekend at the age of just 22. In addition, not to forget his historic Hat-Trick against Barca at the Camp Nou. Can he lead his side all the way this year?
Real Madrid Vs Liverpool
Finally, a rematch of the 2018 final will also take place when Real Madrid and Liverpool meet. Another Ramos Vs Salah round. Will the Egyptian make the best of it? Liverpool’s only hope of silverware this season is the Champions League. Will Istanbul smile for them again? Despite their struggles in the league, Klopp will definitely not surrender the hope for a top 4 finish. They will face a tricky trip to Arsenal before traveling to Spain for the 1st leg. Can they juggle all that together?
On the other hand, Madrid are not having their best season under Zidane so far. Nonetheless they find themselves in the QF of the Champions League and 3rd in the league just 6 points away from the leaders. Can they finish the season strong? They too have a decisive month ahead. After the 1st leg against Liverpool, they will welcome Barca for the classico before they travel to England for the 2nd leg. A win over Barca will take them to 2nd place, as the gap is only 2 points. With the return of some key players, Real will attempt to make a final push after the break. Can they beat this Liverpool side?
Predictions For The Semi-Final
UEFA Champions League 2021 – Road To Istanbul. On papers, Manchester City and Chelsea should secure a pass to the Semis. Although Porto and Dortmund will not be as easy as many people think. However, in the end the 2 English teams have enough to go through. With that being said, 2 spots remain empty. Who will take them?
Bayern Vs PSG will be hard to predict. Both teams are having an incredible season so far. Bayern will have a slightly more difficult schedule, as they will face Leipzig in a crucial league game before the 1st leg. A loss would bring RBL within 1 point of the Bavarians, so the game could be the a dealbreaker for them.
As for the 2nd game, Real Madrid Vs Liverpool will be tough to call as well. With both teams struggling in the league and bowing out of cups competitions, the Champions League is their only hope of silverware this season. In other terms, none of them is going out without a fight, which will make the matchup even more intense. Ever since the 2005 final, you can’t say Istanbul without remembering the historic Reds comeback. Can Klopp fire up his side to reach this stage again?
Conclusion
UEFA Champions League 2021 – Road To Istanbul. In the end, each fan will have his own perspective and opinion. So what is yours? Feel free to share it in the comment section below. I would love to see who are your favorites to go through to the Semi-Finals and eventually reach the Final. Plot your own path to the final and decide who lifts the trophy in Istanbul!
On a personal level, I would love to see a Bayern – Manchester City and Chelsea – Liverpool Semi Finals. The dream final would be Bayern – Liverpool. How about you?
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The dream final is City v anyone
City have a great team with a top manager in Pep. They could reach the final, although PSG or Bayern would be difficult to eliminate. Let’s see