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The Champions League draw for the quarter-final matches is scheduled for this Friday in Nyon, Switzerland, at 12:00 CET. Real Madrid have advanced to this round after defeating Atalanta on aggregate 4-1, sealing their place with a dominant 3-1 victory in the round of 16 at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium.
But who could Real face next? There are seven possibilities for Los Blancos, so let’s take some time to rank them below based on how attractive a matchup would be for this team.
7. Bayern Munich
I think Bayern is the nightmare rival of all teams. They are the most dominant team in Europe. What they did to Lazio in the first leg of the round of 16 was terrifying. Real Madrid are better than Lazio, of course, but they also have weaknesses that Bayern can exploit. Now the Bayern defense has its own questions, but with Manuel Neuer in goal, Robert Lewandowski scoring at a higher rate than anyone on this planet, and a midfield or Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka, this team more than makes up for their relatively minor weaknesses. They are the defending champions for a reason.
6. Manchester City
Manchester City have been the best team in Europe for the 2020-2021 season. This team has a shame of riches at Pep Guardiola’s disposal, and they make it look easy out there. Players like Kevin de Bruyne and Raheem Sterling are true artists of the game, and the defense has become one of the best in the world since signing Ruben Dias. City organized a clinic to get Real out of the round of 16 last year, and revenge would not be easy for Los Merengues.
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5. PSG
PSG have been pretty poor in Ligue 1 lately, and they seem to have taken a step back with Mauricio Pochettino compared to Thomas Tuchel. There is a period of adjustment, and the recent loss to Nantes was a reminder of that. Still, PSG have as much star power as any team in Europe, and they have the biggest jewel of the competition in Kylian Mbappé. I had Barcelona on skates in the first leg, and I’m afraid I could do to Lucas Vázquez if Dani Carvajal is not in shape.
Before Thomas Tuchel became Chelsea’s manager, he would not have been afraid of the Blues at all. But now that they have hired Tuchel, this team looks legitimate. They cleaned Atlético de Madrid off the pitch, and while I know that Real Madrid is a significantly better Champions League team than Los Rojiblancos, that is still cause enough for concern. With Tuchel, Chelsea are excellent defensively, and by the time Real take on the Blues their attack will probably have improved a lot too. Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech and Kai Havertz are all world class under a competent coach. And Tuchel, as we saw last season, has what it takes to guide a team to the final. That being said, PSG, City and Bayern are more proven, so I cannot consider Chelsea a tougher competition than them.
3. Borussia Dortmund
The best Bundesliga teams are extremely difficult in this competition, especially for La Liga teams. Real Madrid are better equipped to take on an intense and tough team like BVB than a La Liga rival like Sevilla, for example, but Dortmund would still be a tough opponent. The margin of error against a player like Erling Haaland is extremely low. Dortmund’s midfield could be shattered by Real, but what if Real’s attack fails and they are trapped on the counter by players like Marco Reus and Jadon Sancho? Still, Real have more quality than Dortmund, especially in the middle of the park and on defense, so they would be favorites.
2. Liverpool
It’s surprising to think that Liverpool no longer scares most teams in Europe after winning the Champions League in the 2018-2019 season and dominating the Premier League last year. There are serious doubts about his ability to make it to the competition next season, as his defense has been in shambles from injuries. No game against a Jurgen Klopp team with superstar Mohamed Salah in the lineup is a walk in the park, and the Reds are all-in in the Champions League right now. But their defensive and midfield quality is even worse than that of Dortmund. His attack isn’t better either, to be honest.
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1. FC Porto
Porto proved to the world that they are a force to be reckoned with and a true sleeper in the tournament when they eliminated Juventus. But even though they dominated Juve in the first leg, they were honestly lucky to do so with away goals. Porto have a solid defense led by Pepe, although they are vulnerable on the wings. Their forward duo and midfielder duo are highly underrated, but one would hope that Real Madrid could handle them with players like Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane in their ranks.
