Sports

Full List: Eight Quarter-finalists, Why They Can Win Champions League

Published

4 years ago

March 17, 2022

The eight UEFA Champions League quarter-finalists are now known after Chelsea and Villarreal joined Atlético, Bayern, Benfica, Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid in progressing through their round of 16 ties.

Ahead of the quarter-final draw, UEFA assesses the sides hoping to reach the showpiece on 28 May, from stats and form to key players.

Champions League quarter-final draw

The draw for the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals and semi-finals will hold on Friday 18 March.

Atlético

Why they can win it:
You just need to take one look at the dogged determination Atleti showed as they fought their way past Manchester United in the last 16 to see why they can go all the way and upset anyone in this competition. They are so resilient and masters of backs-against-the-wall football, nobody will want to be paired against them in the draw.

Bayern

Why they can win it:
Quite simply, because it’s Bayern; as long as they’re in it, they can win it. Tougher tests await in the next round, but with Robert Lewandowski fit and firing there’s no reason the Bavarians can’t go all the way and claim their seventh European crown.

Benfica

Why they can win it:
Unfancied Benfica are on an upward curve under caretaker boss Nélson Veríssimo. Drawing on homegrown players, the Eagles have had their wings clipped in the league but, in Europe, they are capable of making the most of the extra space they get in the attacking third, particularly Darwin Nuñez. Of course, there are big hurdles to negotiate but the dream is alive.

Benfica have lost five finals since last winning the competition in 1962, when Eusébio struck twice in a 5-3 triumph against Real Madrid.

Chelsea

Why they can win it:
The reigning champions have the necessary experience to navigate their way through the Champions League knockout rounds and they seem to be basing this campaign on the same principles as last: a defence that is not used to conceding goals and enough quality in attack to hurt any opposition. And the man at the helm, Thomas Tuchel, has shown that he’s one of the best around when it comes to motivating a team and keeping them goal-orientated from game to game.

The Blues have conceded just seven goals in 15 Champions League games since Tuchel’s arrival, three of them in their 3-3 draw with Zenit on Matchday 6.

Liverpool

Why they can win it:

The similarity to the 2019 Champions League-winning campaign is that domestically Liverpool are chasing a rampant Manchester City and it seems that having such an objective always brings the best out of Jürgen Klopp’s team. When they hit top form, and everything works in devastating harmony, it’s hard to see anyone coping with them. If you add in the Anfield factor, anything is possible.

Liverpool have been European champions six times – more than any other English team. That is as many titles as Bayern, with Milan and Real Madrid the only sides to have won more.

Manchester City

Why they can win it:
There are only one or two teams left in the competition – if that – who are capable of dealing with City’s metronomic passing and relentless pressing. Their strength in depth is unrivalled across Europe, while their hunger for a maiden Champions League triumph remains as ferocious as ever. After all, they couldn’t have gone much closer in Porto last May.

Guardiola reached his eighth Champions League semi-final last season – the joint-most in the competition’s history alongside José Mourinho.

Real Madrid

Why they can win it:

If they can turn that tie against Paris around, against all the odds, then nothing is beyond them. Two younger, energetic, less-used players produced star turns in eliminating the French side: Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga. Their impacts need to continue in the ascendancy. But it’s the 70 goals and assists total which the Karim Benzema-Vinicíus Júnior partnership has produced this season that whispers potential winners.

Madrid had scored in 23 successive matches in the Champions League round of 16 before drawing a blank at Paris in the first leg this season.

Villarreal

Why they can win it:

The Yellow Submarine might not be fancied by many, yet they showed exactly what they’re made of when they won the UEFA Europa League last season. When you throw in the fact they’ve already knocked out Juventus and are welcoming back Gerard Moreno from injury, they’ll be confident they can go one better than their 2006 semi-final stage exit.

Just under half of Villarreal’s 52,000 inhabitants can fit inside their 23,500-seater stadium.

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Sports

UCL, EPL: Petr Cech Advises Chelsea On How To Win Trophies

Published

1 day ago

May 4, 2026

Editor

Chelsea legend, Petr Cech, has advised his old club on how to win the UEFA Champions League or the English Premier League.

Chelsea are already out of the Premier League title race this season, and they are at risk of missing out on UEFA Champions League qualification for next season because they are currently not in the ninth position on the Premier League table.

Speaking to The Athletic about Chelsea, Cech said that the Blues need to change their philosophy of signing only young players if they want to win the Premier League or Champions League.

According to the former goalkeeper, the Premier League west London club needs to add experienced players to mentor the young players in the squad.

“You have to look at what you want to achieve. You can have young, talented players, and you can win, but it’s very rare that you manage to do that,” he said.

“If you want to win every season and compete every season, that does not go together.

“You have to change your philosophy. Certain things don’t go together because, in order to win a Champions League or a Premier League… these are really tough competitions, and you have to be consistent.

“You need to have a strong core of the team. And then you can bring young, talented players who will grow faster and then will be held by the experienced players to help navigate them through difficult times when they come.”

Currently, Chelsea have just one player, Tosin Adarabioyo, who is over 28 this season, and the defender has not been playing regularly.

Sports

Enabulele Lauds Okpebholo’s Bold Reforms As Edo Sports Witnesses Revival

Published

5 days ago

April 30, 2026

Editor

The Executive Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, Hon. Amadin Desmond Enabulele, has commended Governor Monday Okpebholo for what he described as a bold and transformative approach to sports development.

Speaking on efforts to reposition sports in the state, Enabulele noted that with Okpebholo’s visionary leadership, the sector has witnessed renewed growth.

In a statement issued by his Media Officer, Edoko Wilson Edoko, the Edo Sports Commission boss attributed the progress to the governor’s strategic policies and sustained commitment to youth development, which he said have laid the foundation for a more structured and results-driven system.

“His Excellency has demonstrated clear vision and genuine commitment to sports development. The level of support we are receiving has significantly repositioned Edo as a competitive force in national sporting events,” he said.

He explained that targeted investments in grassroots development are already producing results, with a growing number of young talents being identified and nurtured across multiple disciplines.

“We are deliberately building from the grassroots. A large percentage of our athletes today are homegrown, which speaks to the sustainability of our development model,” Enabulele added.

The Commission, he noted, is also shifting away from an over-reliance on football to a broader multi-sport focus.

Edo State, he said, is now recording improved performances in athletics, combat sports, and other emerging areas.

“Our goal is to strengthen all sports. The results are beginning to show across different disciplines, and this is only the start,” he said.

Enabulele further pointed to ongoing improvements in sports infrastructure and athlete welfare as critical factors in sustaining performance and encouraging wider participation among young people.

“We are building a system that will endure. With the continued support of the governor, Edo is on course to becoming a dominant force in sports at both national and international levels,” he stated.

He expressed confidence that the current momentum would translate into greater achievements for Edo athletes, reaffirming the Commission’s commitment to excellence, discipline, and long-term development.