Confidence and Pressure: Analysing the UEFA Champions League quarter final draw and the power rankings taking into perspective the history between rivals

Defending Champions takes on record winners as the last eight teams in the European top club competition learn their fate in the next round of the competition.

Credits: Twitter/ UEFA Champions League

Chelsea vs Real Madrid

Thomas Tuchel host Real Madrid in the first leg of the double-header as they continue their bid to retain the title they won last May in Porto.

The West Londoners see off French Champions Lille in the last round, winning both legs of the tie to seal a 4-1 aggregate win. The Blues became the only side to win both legs of games in the last round.

Despite finishing second in their group behind Juventus, Chelsea dominated the two legged tie, winning 2-0 at the Stamford Bridge before sealing a comeback win in France after going down to a penalty for their host, Lille.

Christian Pulisic becomes the first player to score in both legs of a Champions League knockout round for Chelsea since Didier Drogba and he made a vital contribution last season when Chelsea see off Real Madrid in the semis, the American will be needed again when they face Madrid in April.

Photo by Pedro Salado/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

For Real Madrid, they staged an inspiring comeback against PSG Paris Saint-Germain to reach the quarters and a lot of people will consider them a team to beat after the show they staged in the comeback win over a star studded side.

Real Madrid lost the first leg at the Stade de Princes in France and went down to a Kylian Mbappé’s first half goal at the Bernabéu to trail 2-0 on aggregate at half time.

The 13 times champions however comeback in the second half like a team on a mission and thanks to a Karim Benzema hat-trick, they were able to overturn the two goal deficit and seal quarter final spot with a 3-2 aggregate win.

For Los Blancos, it will be all about revenge after their semi final elimination last season in the hands of Chelsea. Though not many players come in for Madrid but they have a new manager in Carlo Ancelotti and the form of Vinicius Junior so far this season could be worth more than a new signing.

Having already establish a 10 point gap lead at the top of the La Liga summit, the priority for Real Madrid is getting past Chelsea, which they will feel they can, but the fact that they have never beaten Chelsea in major competition makes this a demanding task for them.

Moreso, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has managed six games against Real Madrid and has never been beaten, winning two and four others ending in draw.

Carlo Ancelotti is also a former Chelsea boss but a lot has changed since he managed the club and now in his second second spell in Madrid, he might never get a better opportunity to win a fourth Champions League title after his two success in the competition with AC Milan and one with Real in 2014.

Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Two time Champions, Chelsea will be more confidence as per the records between the two sides, leaving the pressure on record Champions, Real Madrid but none of the two side can boast comfortability ahead of the clash next month.

Manchester City vs Atletico Madrid

Another quarter final tie that will see a side from England take on another from Spain will see Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City go head to head with Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid.

On the back of eliminating a side from Manchester, Atletico Madrid face a more difficult task with Manchester City standing in their way to a place in the semi final of the Champions League.

Pep Guardiola’s City lost in the final in the last edition to fellow Premier League side Chelsea in their first ever final in the competition and going one better will be the target for City and their ambitious manager, who has never lay his hands on the prestigious trophy since last winning it with Barcelona.

Every season presents Manchester City to win their first Champions League title due to the calibre of players they parade and the experience of their manager in the competition but after several heartbreaks before making the final in 2021, ending up on the losing side in Porto leaves a sore in the hearts of Citizens, which will take sometime to heal.

Pep Guardiola and Diego Simeone have both met twice in the competition, which was in the semi finals in 2016, with Atletico Madrid beating Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich on away goal rule, after first winning the first 1-0 in Madrid before a 2-1 loss in Munich.

Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Atletico Madrid progressed to the final then where they eventually lost to Real Madrid but the good news for Pep Guardiola and Manchester City this time is that the away goal rule has been scrapped and should the same be the case in their upcoming game, extra time will be required and eventually penalties as the result may be.

On papers, Manchester City are favourites heading into the contest but a lot might have changed before the matches will be played as even the so called favourites are not performing at their best as results in their recent games has shown, Atletico Madrid will however not accept the underdog caption so a mouthwatering clash awaits next month.

Villarreal vs Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich have always been impressive season in and out in the Champions League though they unfortunately lost out in the quarter finals last season, which they might actually have excuse for as Robert Lewandowski was unavailable for their double header against PSG due to injury.

This season however they've been rather flawless in the competition. After completing the group stage by winning all the games in a group that compromises Barcelona and Benfica, they progressed into the last eight by flooring RB Salzburg 8-2 on aggregate.

Despite the 1-1 draw in the first leg at the Red Bull Arena in Austria, Bayern were just too good for Salzburg in Munich as they look so much different to a side that laboured for a draw in the reverse fixture.

Credits: UEFA.com

Drawing Villarreal in the quarters will not be an easy peasy for them despite being regarded as huge favourite. Unai Emery’s side finished runner up to Manchester United in in their group before pulling a big upset to eliminate Italian giants Juventus.

The first leg of the tie ended in a one all draw in Spain, making the odds favour Juventus ahead of the return leg as they will be playing at home. There is no denying that Juventus played well until Villarreal decided to take over the game/ tie.

The Unai Emery side scored three goals 12 minutes from time to break the hearts of their host and earn a place in the last eight, where they will now face six times Champions, Bayern Munich.

The two sides met in the competition back in the group stages of the 2011/12 season and Bayern Munich flexed their dominance muscles winning the first leg in Spain 2-0 and the return leg 3-1 in Munich to record a 5-1 aggregate win.

Even after over 11 years, it will not be an upset if the same prove to be the result again next month as Bayern have maintain consistency over the years. Villarreal will have so much to do if they are to continue their fairy tale run in the competition.

Benfica vs Liverpool

Who would have thought that Benfica will be here after drawing Bayern Munich and Barcelona when the group stages draw was made last year ?

Photo by John Berry/Getty Images)

After replacing Jorge Jesus in December, Nelson Verissimo has have Benfica believing again as they represent the only Portuguese side left in the Champions League despite being regarded the least competitive compared to Porto and Sporting Lisbon.

They remain the only side to have starved Ajax of a win in the Champions League this season having eliminated the Dutch side, who won all their games in the group before drawing the 1961 and 62 winners.

Benfica progressed 3-2 on aggregate thanks to a Darwin Nuñez goal in Amsterdam, which seal a 1-0 win that eventually took them to this round after the side drew two all in Portugal.

Their next opponent in Liverpool however will prove tricky and maybe only the fans from Lisbon will think they have the slightest chance of progress at the expense of the 2019 champions.

English teams have run over Portuguese sides in the competition this season with Porto suffering elimination in the same group as Liverpool, who completed the double over the league leaders in Portugal with aggregate scoreline of 7-1.

Photo by Diogo Cardoso/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

While defending Champions in Portugal, Sporting Lisbon were well beaten at home by Manchester City before the draw in Manchester sealed a confortable 5-0 aggregate win in the last round of the competition to leave Benfica the only active Portuguese team in the last eight.

In the eight meetings between Liverpool and Benfica, a draw has never been recorded with Liverpool winning five leaving their opponent with victories in the other three.

The last time both sides met was far back in the 2005/06 round of 16 and the Portuguese side were able to do the double over the Reds, leaving them to walk alone with a 1-0 win in Portugal and a 2-0 win in England sealing a 3-0 aggregate win.

The pressure this time will be on Benfica even though they have nothing to lose as they surely have exceed the expectations this season. There is a lot of reason to be confident that Liverpool will be able to see off their opponent but this is football, there's always room for upset.

The first legs of the games will be played in the midweek 5th and 6th of April while the return leg will be played a week later.

The winner of the tie between Chelsea and Real Madrid will face the winner between Manchester City and Atletico Madrid while Bayern Munich and Villarreal will battle for the right to face either of Liverpool or Benfica in the last four.

Author: Kehinde Hassan Afolabi