UEFA Champions League 2018/19 – Searching for a new king

After the teams in this tournament had to watch Real Madrid win the title for three consecutive seasons, or more broadly, for five consecutive seasons since 2013/14, the Champions League has effectively been a competition for Spanish teams. Real Madrid has won it four times and Barcelona once.

The 2018/19 season saw a decline for Real Madrid, and the team officially lost their title after a humiliating defeat to Ajax Amsterdam in the round of 16. All of Europe – except Madrid – rejoiced, awaiting a new champion.

Following the draw in Nyon, Switzerland, the four quarter-final pairings have been determined. Unsurprisingly, the Premier League, with its four representatives, will have an all-English clash between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City. The remaining three pairings are: Manchester United vs Barcelona, ​​Liverpool vs Porto, and Ajax Amsterdam vs Juventus.

Of these four matches, the most anticipated is undoubtedly the clash between Manchester United and Barcelona. Surely, all Red Devils fans haven't forgotten the image of Sir Alex Ferguson sitting helplessly with trembling hands on the sidelines as Man Utd lost to Barca in two Champions League finals in 2009 (0-2) and 2011 (1-3). And in eight encounters in the Champions League, Man Utd have only won once (2008), lost three, and drawn four times. It's also worth noting that Messi is the player with the most goals against English teams in the Champions League with 22 goals. Therefore, the anxiety of many MU fans facing Barca in the quarter-finals is entirely justified.

Manchester United are in a rebuilding phase and have a lot of work to do. Just a few months ago, they didn't dare believe they could go this far in the Champions League, but after the "miraculous" comeback against PSG in the round of 16, confidence has returned strongly to the team, and as Manucians often say to each other, "Now that we've reached this point, what do we have to fear?". And when they play to their full potential, MU will be truly formidable.

The UCL 2018/19 quarter-final pairings. Photo: uefa.com

Prediction: Barcelona will reach the semi-finals.

The second match between Tottenham and Man City is an all-Premier League clash; however, these are two teams with relatively little experience in the Champions League. Neither team has ever won the tournament and they have generally not progressed far in previous seasons. In terms of strength, Man City has the edge in terms of squad and form. They are currently leading the Premier League by 13 points over third-placed Tottenham. Notably, Man City's manager, Pep Guardiola, is very experienced in the Champions League, having led Barcelona to two Champions League titles (2009, 2011) and Bayern Munich to the semi-finals three times (2014, 2015, 2016).

Prediction: Manchester City will reach the semi-finals.

The third match-up is between Liverpool and Porto. Many Liverpool fans are likely delighted with this draw because, compared to the other opponents, Porto seems considerably weaker. Although a team that frequently appears in the knockout rounds of the Champions League, in terms of strength and current form, Porto is considered a significant underdog compared to Liverpool, a team having a very successful season, still fiercely competing with Man City in the domestic league, and the reigning runner-up of the 2017/18 Champions League. Last year, Liverpool eliminated Porto in the round of 16 with a 5-0 aggregate score over two legs.

Prediction: Liverpool will reach the semi-finals.

Match 4: Ajax Amsterdam vs Juventus. A former powerhouse of European football has been reborn. Ajax was once a major club in Europe, with an academy that produced countless football superstars, including Johan Cruyff, Marco Van Basten, and Ruud Gullit. However, the development of modern football, coupled with the financial power of major leagues, drained Ajax of its talent and transformed them into a "producer" of players for other big European clubs. This team has won the European Cup four times (1971, 1972, 1973, 1995). Notably, in 1973, Ajax defeated Juventus in the final. But the last time Amsterdam reached the quarter-finals was back in the 1996/97 season – more than 20 years since Ajax's name was forgotten in the continent's most prestigious competition, and who knows, perhaps this year they will rekindle their glory and remind all of Europe of the glorious Ajax Amsterdam.

On the other side of the battlefield is a seasoned Juventus, a team that has reached the Champions League final nine times but sadly only won it twice. They are the team with the most defeats in the final of this tournament. In the domestic league, Juventus has dominated for almost a decade and they truly crave another prestigious Champions League trophy. Their last victory was in 1996 – against Ajax on penalties. And this year, many "Old Lady" fans believe their team will win the cup because they have Ronaldo, the king of the Champions League, the best player of the tournament for the last five seasons, and the top scorer in the four seasons Real Madrid won the title.

Prediction: Juventus will reach the semi-finals.

The quarter-final matches will be played in a two-legged format.

Outbound leg: April 10-11

Return leg: April 17-18