Champions League futures: Man City still the frontrunner heading into quarterfinals

The Champions League quarterfinals are set. After a thrilling Round of 16, just eight clubs remain in the competition, with two of them hailing from the Premier League. Among them is Manchester City, the reigning champions and a clear-cut favorite to win it again, despite facing Real Madrid in the quarters, which should be a thrilling affair. Other contenders are Arsenal, PSG, Real, and Bayern Munich. Below, we’ll preview a few of them and their potential road to a trophy.

Man City

The Cityzens are firing on all cylinders in 2023-24. They’re very much in the Premier League title race and have looked absolutely flawless in Europe. Pep Guardiola’s men went a perfect 6-0-0 in group play before smashing FC Copenhagen 6-2 on aggregate in the Round of 16. The Sky Blues will face a familiar foe in Madrid in the final eight, the same side they eliminated at the semifinals stage last season. If they can get past Los Blancos, it’ll be either Arsenal or Bayern in the semis. City owns +188 odds to win the UCL at 888sport.

Arsenal

It’s been quite a few years since we’ve seen the Gunners in the Champions League. But, they’ve returned in a big way. Not only does Arsenal have the opportunity to compete for the most prestigious club trophy in the world, but Mikel Arteta’s side is currently tied for first place in England. The North London outfit bested Porto in the last 16 on penalties at the Emirates and also finished atop Group B with a 4-1-1 record. The Gunners will face a daunting task in the quarterfinals in Bayern and if they beat the German giants, it’s likely Man City up next. A tough road to the final, to say the least.

Real Madrid

Madrid is the record champion, winning the competition 14 times in their history. And while Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema may not be around anymore, this is still a very strong team with no shortage of talent. Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, and Rodrygo are three of the best young players in the world and Carlo Ancelotti is one hell of a manager. Los Blancos didn’t drop a single point in group action and just edged out RB Leipzig in the Round of 16, 2-1. Yes, Real is on their way to a LaLiga title but we know how much the Champions League means to them. If they beat Man City, the road to a 15th title becomes clearer. They’re worth a bet if you plan to do some Champions League soccer betting.

Bayern Munich

Bayern is not having a good season domestically and will finally lose the title, with Bayer Leverkusen 10 points clear in the Bundesliga. But, there’s still an opportunity to make some noise in the Champions League. The Bavarians went 5-1-0 in the group phase and took down Lazio in the last 16 after a dominant 3-0 victory in the second leg in Munich. Although inconsistency has been an issue all term, Bayern tends to perform in the UCL. Hopefully, that continues in the quarters when they lock horns with Arsenal.