The next round of the UEFA Champions League, the quarterfinals, will see a match-up of the competition’s last two winners.
Defending champion Real Madrid, who bested Liverpool last May, will take on Chelsea, who beat Manchester City in the 2020-21 final. Madrid, who are truly the Reyes Del Europa, with far more European titles than anybody else, will be heavily favored.
As for Chelsea, they are struggling through a tough season, and although they will be huge underdogs, this is their only chance at a trophy this season.
Chelsea manager Graham Potter was famously quoted at a fan event yesterday saying that his team is aiming to win the “f**ing Champions League.”
Good for him, all the s*&* that he’s had to deal with this season, he deserves to let loose and f**ing swear every once in awhile.
The draw for the final rounds was held earlier today and you can see all of that below:
Champions League Quarterfinal Draw
Real Madrid (Spain) vs. Chelsea (England)
SL Benfica (Portugal) vs. Inter Milan (Italy)
Manchester City (England) vs. Bayern Munich (Germany)
AC Milan (Italy) vs. Napoli (Italy)
UCL Semifinal Draw
Real Madrid/Chelsea vs. Manchester City/Bayern Munich
AC Milan/Napoli vs. SL Benfica/Inter Milan
The Blues boss discussed his cursing at his weekly press conference today.
“I said we would try to ‘blink’ win the Champions League,” Potter said ahead of tomorrow’s match against Everton.
“That’s the same I’m pretty sure for the other seven clubs as well.
“And all the other clubs would say you can lose in the quarterfinals because that’s the nature of the Champions League. We’ll focus on Real Madrid when we get there but at the moment, Everton.
“The feeling is excited but I’d rather speak about Everton because that’s the game tomorrow and the other stuff is a long way away.”
Preview material for that match is below:
Everton at Chelsea FYIs
Kick: Sat March 18, 5:30 pm Stamford Bridge
Chelsea Team News: go here
Chelsea Starting XI Prediction: go here
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
UEFA Draws Content
Champions League Analysis Part 1 Champions League Analysis Part 2 Europa League Analysis
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.