Every Champions League quarter-final tie predicted as Arsenal and Liverpool sent warning
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BIG DEBATE: The Champions League returns this week with Arsenal and Liverpool flying the Premier League flag whilst Real Madrid face Bayern Munich in a titanic clashThe Champions League quarter-finals begin on Tuesday with a heavyweight line-up that sees Arsenal, whose season is threatening to unravel, facing Sporting Lisbon and Real Madrid taking on Bayern Munich.The Gunners have won all but one of their European games this term and have been favourites for much of the season. Bayern bring form and treble-winning ambitions to Spain, but Los Blancos have a knack in this competition.READ MORE: How many wins Arsenal still need to mathematically confirm Premier League title gloryREAD MORE: John Henry’s comments on Liverpool in the FA Cup puts Arne Slot’s future in new lightThere's an all-La Liga tie with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, who both downed English teams in the last 16, squaring off.
This tie though has all the ingredients of an upset.Elsewhere I'd back Barcelona to see off Atletico, albeit Simeone's side have got the better of the Catalans in a cup competition already this season. The French side’s young, vibrant attacking unit will be too much for a Liverpool defence that suddenly looks a bit wooden.And with Hansi Flick’s attacking options, Barcelona will get past Atletico Madrid to complete a great last four.SEMI-FINALISTS: Bayern Munich, Sporting, Barcelona, Paris Saint-GermainBen HusbandArsenal are wobbling…big time.
Football rarely goes to plan or follow the odds but that would be a tasty line-up and it would be great news for the Champions League.Arsenal face a really difficult quarter final tie with Sporting Lisbon - but I think over the two legs they will be too strong for their Portuguese opponents.PSG have this incredible habit of really upping their game, tempo and momentum and that is why I think they will knock out Liverpool in that quarter final.Barcelona are a far cry from their glory days but they can still blow teams away as they did against Newcastle and their pace and ability to get in behind should be a real worry for Arsenal if they meet in the semi final.Then, finally, I think Bayern will get through against Real Madrid. This is Ballon D’Or season for him.SEMI-FINALISTS: Arsenal, PSG, Bayern Munich, BarcelonaAlex RichardsArsenal were dumped out of the FA Cup in midweek, but over two legs, with the second at home, I can't see them falling short against Sporting Lisbon.The Gunners should be too strong against a Sporting side who boast an excellent centre-forward in Luis Suarez - their replacement for Viktor Gyokeres - but who tend to lose to the sides you expect them to in this competition over the past two years.Liverpool head to Paris at a low ebb after the drubbing by Manchester City on Saturday, and that should hopefully spur them on to dig in and come together as a collective, with their backs to the wall in Paris against the holders.PSG know how to step it up against better opposition, but I think Liverpool might be able to do something a little special over two legs here.