Eight teams locked horns with their opponents in two-legged ties to determine the tournament’s semi-finalists.
The Champions League quarter-finals ended on Wednesday, with four teams securing their places in the competition’s next round.
As the Champions League fever starts to peak ahead of the semifinals, let’s review our main takeaways from the quarter-final ties.
Bayern Munich vs Villarreal (1-2 on aggregate)
It was evident from Bayern’s performance in the first leg that they won’t have an easy battle against their Spanish opponents. They were lucky enough to leave the first match with a 1-0 defeat.
However, what happened in the second leg at Allianz Arena exposed their underlying problems furthermore. Robert Lewandowski put the German giants ahead in the 52nd minute, but they struggled to score the aggregate winner.
Nigerian star Samuel Chukwueze then shocked Bayern with a late goal to send Villarreal to the semifinals. Having eliminated Bayern and Juventus, Villarreal will look to continue their Cinderella run when they meet Liverpool in the next round.
Real Madrid vs Chelsea (5-4 on aggregate)
The most entertaining tie of the quarter-finals saw Real Madrid reach the semifinals for the tenth time in the last 12 years.
Karim Benzema was, once again, Madrid’s number one hero when he scored a hattrick to help Real Madrid beat Chelsea 3-1 in the first leg.
The Blues bounced back with an incredible comeback in the second leg to go 3-0 ahead until the 75th minute. However, an equalizer from Rodrygo ruined their plans. It was then Benzema’s turn to make his mark on another Real Madrid victory.
The French star scored Real Madrid’s aggregate winner with a precise header. The Blancos will now prepare to face Manchester City in the next round’s most anticipated battle.
Atletico Madrid vs Manchester City (0-1 on aggregate)
Manchester City attacked Atletico Madrid for 70 minutes before snatching their winner through Kevin De Bruyne in the first leg.
The Citizens knew that conceding in Madrid would force them to restart their efforts for another goal. So they took the risk and decided to defend their lead at Wanda Metropolitano.
The hosts had several chances to clinch the tie-equalizer, but they lacked enough composure to beat City’s solid backline. The Citizens will have to face another Spanish side, Real Madrid, in the semifinals. Let’s see if Guardiola can improve his impressive stats against the La Liga giants.
Liverpool vs Benfica (6-4 on aggregate)
Liverpool left little room for Benfica to push for a comeback when they beat the Portuguese side 3-1 in the first leg. Jurgen Klopp made several changes to his lineup for the second match while Benfica went all-in with their attacking plans.
Similar to the game in Portugal, Ibrahima Konate scored for the Reds with a header. It was then Roberto Firmino’s turn to score a brace in the span of only ten minutes.
Despite their poor defensive performance, Benfica managed to score three goals at Anfield and end the second leg with an impressive 3-3 draw.
Klopp’s side continue their dream of winning a historic quadruple. They will face Villarreal as their next Champions League opponents after locking horns with Man City in the FA Cup semifinals.
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