This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for ever since the current Champions League season started in September 2024. The best eight teams have survived the challenges and hurdles of UCL’s new format and have reached the quarter-finals, which are scheduled for April.Those two-legged matchups will provide exquisite football and sensationally entertaining clashes.So, let’s see who will face who in this stage of the elite’s competition.Arsenal vs Real MadridIt doesn’t get much better than this, right? The Premier League giants against the defending UCL champion. Mikel Arteta against his compatriots in the replay of that memorable Champions League skirmish some 20 years ago, when Thierry Henry danced his way to the corner flag with the ball glued to his foot in the stoppage time.This time, Arsenal are getting into the game as the underdogs, which means the pressure won’t be on their end. Due to the extra-time and subsequent penalties at Wanda Metropolitano on Wednesday night, Arsenal boss didn’t know which of two Madrid-based sides he’ll face in the quarter-finals.A quarter-final showdown with Real Madrid awaits. pic.twitter.com/DQW1xFq4y7— Arsenal (@Arsenal) March 12, 2025 In a press conference following the Gunners’ 9-3 aggregate win over PSV Eindhoven, Arteta was asked who he would prefer to face, Atletico or Real Madrid.”No, I can’t pick sides, because they are so different, both the managers, the styles, the history of them,” he said. “We know about the difficulty for sure, but I cannot tell you one other thing.”One of the things that could decide this battle is Bukayo Saka’s fitness condition. There’s still a chance that England international would be back on the pitch by then. He has less than a month to recover from an injury and get into contention fully.##NAJAVA_MECA_8778827##Along with the recently recovered Gabriel Martinelli, Saka would definitely pose a serious threat to Carlo Ancelotti’s defence. The battle in the midfield would also be more than interesting as we’ll see two Three Lions’ aces – Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham – on opposite sides. The same pattern will see Kylian Mbappe facing off with his Les Bleus teammate Wiliam Saliba, which could also prove crucial in this two-legged tie.PSG vs Aston VillaOr shall we call it the Unai Emery derby?We shouldn’t jump to conclusions and say that Paris Saint-Germain are already in the UCL semi-final, but it would be fair to say they are massive favourites against the Villans. After topping Liverpool, Les Parisiens are facing the team led by their former boss, Unai Emery, who sat in the PSG dugout between 2016 and 2018.Those two seasons saw the Saints eliminated in the knockout stage by Barcelona and Real Madrid, with the first one still being remembered for the unprecedented comeback (PSG won the first leg 4-0 and lost the rematch 6-1).Unai Emery’s Aston Villa take on PSG in the quarters 😤#ChampionsLeague | @AVFCOfficial pic.twitter.com/hiBkLCB8zF— Premier League India (@PLforIndia) March 13, 2025 Today, it’s a whole different story for the Spaniard, who reinvented Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford, which resulted in this already massive achievement.”We are very excited and very motivated,” Emery said when asked about playing PSG in the quarter-finals.”PSG showed their capacity against Liverpool, who were the best team in Europe until yesterday. It is a huge challenge for the club, coaches, supporters and me.”It is special because I haven’t come back since I left there. I haven’t been back to Paris since then, and I will visit there to play against them. It will be fantastic.”We are going to try and analyse our strengths and identify their weakness.”##NAJAVA_MECA_8778829##On the other hand, what Luis Enrique has done with PSG is nothing short of amazing. They’ve battled their way to the quarter-finals after taking down probably the most serious contender for the trophy and are ready to continue in the same fashion.Barcelona vs Borussia DortmundDon’t shoot the messenger, but we ought to warn you that this one could actually turn into a one-sided duel. Last season’s UCL runners-up are having a horrible domestic campaign, sitting closer to the relegation zone than the summit. The Champions League is their last hope and stronghold, but the Blaugrana are probably the worst possible opponent you can possibly face.UCL: Borussia win after a being a goal down in FranceNo, that’s not Houdini and Copperfield, but Yamal and RaphinhaDouble kick or not?! Marciniak didn’t see it but VAR did, Cholo thinks it’s injustice, winners say ‘cry louder’It’s unnecessary to repeat the eulogy of Lamine Yamal and Raphinha, who are simply unstoppable, and along with Robert Lewandowski and Pedri, they seem too strong for BVB.##NAJAVA_MECA_8778828##Bayern Munich vs Inter MilanWhoever tells you it’s easy to pick the winner of this fixture, don’t trust him. Sure, the Bavarians are favourites, especially after brutally topping Bayer Leverkusen in the Round of 16, but Italians wouldn’t be Italians if they would surrender without a full-scale tactical fight.Powerless Bayer lose 2-0 at home to BayernSimone Inzaghi has his flaws and shortcomings, but don’t forget that same man led them to the Champions League finals two seasons ago. He’s a true master of the knockout stage and knows what it takes to get past teams that are maybe even more skilled or packed with better players than the Nerazzurri.If Bochum were able to upset Bayern at the Allianz Arena recently, why should Inter be scared of Harry Kane’s lot?##NAJAVA_MECA_8778826##
