2022-23 UEFA Champions League Quarterfinal Preview
The next round of the UEFA Champions League knockout phase has all eight teams locked in. Chelsea and Manchester United are two Premier League teams that extend their international competition campaign, while the Italians have three Serie A teams to root for, including Napoli, Inter Milan, and AC Milan. Meanwhile, Spain, Germany, and Portugal have three representatives featuring Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Benfica. With that, let’s check out the lineup confirmed for the quarterfinals.
Nitrobetting shares the latest news, soccer odds, and special features throughout the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League season. Let’s get a closer look at the upcoming quarterfinal lineup in this preview.
Qualified Teams for the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League Quarterfinal
Real Madrid vs Chelsea
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 17, 2023
Benfica vs Inter
Man City vs Bayern
Milan vs Napoli
*FC Internazionale Milano's match has been reversed in accordance with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee. #UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/m1gMqFs1fV
READ MORE: 2022-23 UEFA Champions League Quarterfinal Matchups
Chelsea (England)
Graham Potter, the ex-Brighton coach, still needs to figure out how to maximize the potential of Chelsea’s talent pool. He has all the right tools on his side but continues to underperform. It might come sooner than later as the quarterfinal forces him to fast-track his process. German national team star forward and possible Bayern transfer window target Kai Havertz will lead the charge. Christian Pulisic is also an instrumental part of this team but his career trajectory might go another way soon. This is a chance for Potter and the team’s possible departures to make their mark with the club.
Chelsea did well to lock in a quarterfinal appearance. They dropped the ball against Dortmund in the first leg and lost the road game, 1-0. Nevertheless, the Blues quickly bounced back with a strong 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge.
Manchester City (England)
Pep Guardiola continues to show the world his excellence. The Spanish manager continues his search for domestic and international glory. Since joining the club, Pep drove the team to four Premier League titles, four EFL Cups, and an FA Cup title. He also led the Premier League side to their first UEFA Champions League Final appearance in 2021, which they lost to Chelsea. They have another shot at that if they get through the next few months of competition.
So far, the Citizens look solid with Erling Haaland taking on most of the attacking responsibilities. The team did have a shaky start to the Round of 16, drawing their first leg with RB Leipzig. However, City went full throttle at home when they took down the Bundesliga club seven goals to none. The Norwegian put on a show and netted the ball five times.
Bayern Munich (Germany)
The last remaining Bundesliga team in the competition lives to fight another day. Bayern Munich opened their knockout run with a 1-0 victory over PSG and closed the series with another win that closed the aggregate to 3-0. While they have a fast-paced Dortmund side to deal with in the Bundesliga, the team remains within striking distance of a Bundesliga title win and another Champions League victory.
The 2020 UEFA Champions League winners will try to restore their winning ways and secure a seventh title with a formidable lineup. With all that, second-year manager Julian Nagelsmann needs to find more consistent results from the team if he wants to get through the tough competition.
Inter Milan (Italy)
Inter is on a winning path this season. Although they are nearly 20 points behind Serie A leaders Napoli, we’ve seen the club demonstrate convincing wins in the international tournament. They sent home Porto in the Round of 16 with a narrow 1-0 aggregate and delivered outstanding results in the group stage despite being grouped with juggernauts Bayern Munich and Barcelona.
Players like Dzeko, Martinez, Mkhitaryan, and Lukaku are likely to feature in their bid to reach a UEFA Champions League final since their 2010 victory. More than that, it’s always interesting to see tournament underdogs conquer huge challenges ahead.
AC Milan (Italy)
Of the three Serie A teams, AC Milan is possibly the least likely to get through the semis. Even so, their UEFA Champions League history is rich enough to lead many to believe they have a shot at the trophy. They did win last season’s Serie A title. But there are plenty of question marks that need to be answered.
Rafael Leao is a major piece, and they’ve got Theo Hernandez as well. But even Inter has been toying with them in domestic competitions and the only major achievement within reach is the most difficult one to win. Maybe they can turn things around this time, but if they line up against one of the Premier League giants or Bayern Munich, expect AC Milan to chase for the most part.
Napoli (Italy)
Napoli has been nothing but impressive this season. They started the competition with a group stage loss but swiftly bounced back with four-consecutive wins. The Serie A club was grouped with Premier League favorites Liverpool and serious Dutch dark horse Ajax. The club proceeded to the knockouts as the leading team in their group and demolished Eintracht Frankfurt for a ticket to the quarters. The Napoli vs. Eintracht clash ended with a 5-0 aggregate in favor of the Serie A leaders, and any team matched up with Gli Azzurri will have a rough few nights of soccer.
Their range of technical players like Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are bound for greatness. They also have former Tottenham Hotspur record-signing player Tanguy Ndombele controlling the midfield and one of the most promising center-backs in the sport today Kim Min-Jae. With the way things are going, SSC Napoli can pave the way to the finals and no one would ever doubt their capabilities.
Real Madrid (Spain)
Los Blancos booked a trip to the quarter-final with a pair of convincing wins over Jurgen Klopp’s team. They opened the Round of 16 first leg with a 5-2 road victory versus Liverpool succeeded by a 1-0 win in front of their home fans. There’s not much left to say about this club. They are stellar when playing in international competitions.
Despite a few lapses encountered during the La Liga, Carlo Ancelotti and his crew are ready to challenge any other team in the quarterfinal. Real Madrid remains unbeaten in the UCL for four-straight games and we have no doubts about their current form.
Benfica (Portugal)
The Portuguese club can take a breather before April. They have a comfortable eight-point lead over Porto in the Primeira Liga and are on a lengthy winning spree since the start of the year. Benfica might not be anyone’s first choice when dealing with international competitions, but their current lineup seems formidable enough to take on big-ticket clubs.
Benfica, without question, is a team playing outside the top five but presents an intimidating attacking setup. Even solid defensive teams like Bayern and Napoli will have to take their time when playing against the Liga Portugal leaders. Led by the likes of FIFA World Cup breakout stars like Rafa Silva and Goncalo Ramos, we eagerly await what they do on the big stage. Florentino Luis and Nicolas Otamendi are two names you should closely look into as well. Their lineup highlights both veteran and youth talent, all in a package that’s easier to neglect.
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