With the UEFA Champions League (UCL) quarterfinals on the horizon, it’s time to look at the match-ups and predict which teams will advance to the next stage of the tournament.
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The first legs are scheduled for April 11th and 12th, while the second legs will take place on April 18th and 19th. Before we go any further, let’s check out the quarterfinal fixtures.
Real Madrid vs. Chelsea
Benfica vs. Inter Milan
Manchester City vs. Bayern Munich
AC Milan vs. Napoli
Manchester City’s meeting with Bayern Munich is undoubtedly the standout clash, as Pep Guardiola will face his former club. The all-Serie A encounter between AC Milan and Napoli is also destined to dish up plenty of drama.
Real Madrid and Chelsea will renew acquaintances after meeting in last season’s quarterfinals, while Benfica and Inter Milan’s showdown completes the schedule. Are you ready for my 2023 Champions League quarterfinal predictions? Let’s go!
Real Madrid vs. Chelsea Predictions
Real Madrid’s bid to secure a sixth UCL title in 10 years remains on track following a dominant 6-2 aggregate victory over Liverpool in the previous round. The defending champions staged a memorable comeback against Chelsea en route to lifting the trophy last season and the Londoners are Los Blancos’ quarterfinal opponents once again.
Struggling under Graham Potter, Chelsea occupies 10th place in the English Premier League table. The Blues have endured a wildly inconsistent campaign up to now, so I expect Real Madrid to advance to the semifinals without any major problems.
Best Bet: Real Madrid to Advance
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Benfica vs. Inter Milan Predictions
Inter Milan notched a narrow 1-0 win over Porto to scrape into the last eight, reaching the UCL quarterfinals for the first time since 2011-12. Still, it is worth noting that Simone Inzaghi’s men have lost three of their last four league games, leaving them third in the Serie A standings.
By contrast, Benfica sits 10 points clear at the summit of the Portuguese top flight after suffering a solitary defeat in 25 outings this term. Having crushed Club Brugge 7-1 on aggregate in the previous round, the Eagles look set to prey on an inconsistent Nerazzurri outfit and soar into the semifinals.
Best Bet: Benfica to Advance
Manchester City vs. Bayern Munich Predictions
Pep Guardiola spent three seasons at Bayern Munich, guiding the German giant to three successive Bundesliga titles. Now, the Spanish manager will attempt to get the better of his former club when Manchester City take on the 2019-20 UCL champions.
Following the shock sacking of Julian Nagelsmann, Bayern are now under the tutelage of Thomas Tuchel, who led Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2020-21. That said, I’m confident that Man City with dispatch a Bayern team in transition, with Erling Haaland expected to enhance his tally of 10 goals in six UCL appearances this term.
Best Bet: Manchester City to Advance
AC Milan vs. Napoli Predictions
It could be argued that Napoli is the best team on the planet right now. Indeed, Luciano Spalletti’s men find themselves 19 points clear at the summit of the Serie A table, having won 23 of their 27 league matches this season.
With Victor Osimhen scoring goals for fun – and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia sitting on 14 goals and 16 assists for the season – I can see Napoli making light work of AC Milan. Granted, Milan won the Serie A title last year, but the team’s performance levels have plummeted this season.
Best Bet: Napoli to Advance