Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Manchester City, Arsenal and more – we haven’t had a knockout stage this good since 2018! Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland go head to head in a classic, Kylian Mbappe faces Xavi’s Barcelona, and Bayern Munich will face the English side led by Bukayo Saka. Football (soccer) fans, you better grab your popcorn because it’s UCL Quarter-Finals time!
After a first glance, the Champions League Quarter-Finals seem a bit lopsided. On one side of the bracket, the German champions face the English Giants, and the team with the most Champions Leagues faces the team with the last Champions League. Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Real Madrid, and Manchester City- these are the four best teams in Europe. The other side of the bracket consists of German underdogs going against a Griezman-led team, and the Frenchman Kylian Mbappe will play against a rebuilding Barcelona squad. It seems to me that whoever wins the first side of the bracket will win it all. I’ll put that aside for now because it’s time for predictions.
I think Harry Kane and Jamal Musiala will go head to head with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli. After a tie in the first leg, I believe Serge Gnabry will close it out for Bayern Munich, sending them to the Semi-Finals. Manchester City vs. Real Madrid will probably be the most heated game, as they don’t have the most friendly relationship. Last year, Manchester City ruined every Real Madrid fan’s day with a 4-0 win. The year before Real Madrid had their historic comeback which still gives some City fans nightmares. Either way, this game will be incredibly close. Although Madrid has Ancelotti’s magic eyebrow, I think Manchester City will take the win. On the other side of the bracket, I think Atletico Madrid vs. Dortmund will be the perfect underdog game. Jaden Sancho will have an opportunity to show Manchester United fans what they missed out on and put on a dribbling masterclass. While Dortmund might have a good team, I think Atletico Madrid won’t struggle much with the victory as Antoine Griezman will put them ahead. PSG vs. Barcelona is an opportunity for Mbappe to show everyone what he is about and to get all Real Madrid fans even more excited about the transfer. While Barcelona has great youth and is looking good in the future, I think Kylian Mbappe outweighs the skill level of Lamine Yamal, Gavi, and Pedri, crushing all the Catalonians’ dreams.
Now, let’s take a look at the Semi-Finals and Finals. Bayern Munich vs. Manchester City will be an absolute cracker. City will dominate the midfield with the likes of Kevin de Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, and Rodri. I’m sure Haaland will have plenty of opportunities with balls being whipped in by De Bruyne. Although Bayern Munich has the pace of Davies, the IQ of Kimmich, and the experience of Manuel Neuer, Manchester City will make it to back-to-back Champions League Finals. On the other side, Atletico Madrid vs. PSG should be entertaining. I think the first leg will be scoreless, and the second leg will end in a 1-1 tie, taking the series into penalties. With Mbappes’s great shooting ability and Donnaruma’s exceptional reflexes, PSG will upset all Atletico Madrid fans. Manchester City vs. PSG, Erling Haaland vs. Mbappe, the pressure couldn’t get any more real. Haaland will be looking to get his first consecutive UCL title while Mbappe will be looking to get his first Champions League before his potential move to Real Madrid. Like I previously said, Manchester City will thrive in the midfield, having many opportunities, and I think Haaland will get an early goal. As a team, I think Manchester City is better – but who has the dawg in him? I will take Mbappe all day. Mbappe will score a goal in the 70th minute and score another in extra time, ending any doubts about him.
It is very unlikely for my predictions to be exact, but it doesn’t change the fact that this will be the most entertaining UCL knockout stage in a long time. It will all come down to June 1. to see who will take the trophy home.
