The UEFA Champions League ¼ final fixtures are already out, and we are all set to witness four high-octane clashes that will narrow the competition down to four semi-finalists. The matches will take place next week, with the first legs scheduled for April 12 and 13 and the second legs on April 19th and 20th. Also, two matches are scheduled to be played on each day.
Quick Overview of Previous Matches
The entire Champions League 2023 season turned out to be a spectacle to watch once again. It produced some thrilling matches right from the group stage, with Napoli, Porto, Bayern Munich, Tottenham, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Benfica finishing at the top of Group A to H, respectively.
But the competition heated up once it entered the last 16. Two big teams, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool, were knocked out by Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, respectively, and that lit up the tournament. While it was ecstasy for one set of fans, it resulted in heartbreak for others. History was also made by the likes of AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Napoli, as all of them were Italian clubs that made it to the Champions League quarter-finals after a long time.
Out of all the matches, the first leg between Real Madrid and Liverpool, and the second leg between Manchester City and RB Leipzig were the most exciting games to watch. Los Blancos thrashed the Reds 5-2 in the first leg, whereas the Cityzens destroyed Leipzig with a 7-0 thrashing in the second leg, led by Erling Haaland’s five goals.
Latest Draw Results for the Champions League
The Champions League ¼ finals will start next week over the course of four days. Benfica and Inter Milan will lock horns in one of the two matches on April 12th, whereas Manchester City will take on Bayern Munich in the second match on the same day. April 13th will see Real Madrid taking on Chelsea, while Serie A giants AC Milan and Napoli will face each other in the other game. The second legs of the same set of matches will be played on April 19th and 20th, respectively.
Here is the outcome of the Champions League ¼ final draw:
April 12
Benfica vs Inter Milan
Manchester City vs Bayern Munich
April 13
Real Madrid vs Chelsea
AC Milan vs Napoli
April 19
Napoli vs AC Milan
Chelsea vs Real Madrid
April 20
Bayern Munich vs Manchester City
Inter Milan vs Benfica
Forecast for the Upcoming Matches
Benfica vs Inter Milan
Traditionally, Inter Milan has been the stronger side in European Championships, but Benfica has surprised everyone with their top-class performances this season. Benfica topped Group H, ahead of PSG, and went on to beat Club Brugge by 7-1 aggregate across the two legs of Round of 16 as well.
Benfica has scored 23 goals in eight games in this 2023 Champions League season while conceding only eight times. Inter in comparison have scored only 11 goals while conceding seven. Bookies are tipping them as the favourites to win this encounter on odds of 6/5 compared to Inter’s odds of 45/16.
Manchester City vs Bayern Munich
Both teams finished at the top of their respective groups in this 2023 UEFA Champions League season. However, the Cityzens delivered a better performance overall in the last 16. Bayern did a great job to shut PSG out by a 3-0 aggregate, but City went a few notches higher to smash all Champions League score predictions as they annihilated RB Leipzig by 8-1 aggregate, including a 7-0 win in the second leg.
Moreover, Bayern is also dealing with some instability in their managerial ranks, with Julian Nagelsmann set to depart. Bookies favour Manchester City to win this encounter by 2023 Champions League odds of 19/20 compared to Bayern’s odds of 29/10.
AC Milan vs Napoli
The face-off will be an all-Italian clash, with two Serie A giants, AC Milan and Napoli, taking on each other. Traditionally, Milan has been the more familiar name in top European encounters, but Napoli has really pressed on the accelerator hard this season. They are in line to win the Serie A this season and have also been one of the most exciting teams to watch in this Champions League.
AC Milan has netted 13 goals while conceding seven times in this Champions League campaign so far. Napoli, in comparison, has scored 25 times while conceding only six goals. So, the wide disparity between the quality of their performances is visible. Their 2023 Champions League odds (27/20) of winning this contest are much better, even though they are the away side. So, based on their recent form and performances, Napoli will enter this match as the favourites.
Real Madrid vs Chelsea
Spanish giants Real Madrid and Premier League club Chelsea will lock horns in this encounter. Although both sides have been forced to reckon with in European Championships over the years, Real Madrid have the upper hand going into this encounter owing to their form and stability within the squad.
Chelsea has made it this far in this Champions League campaign, but they didn’t do it convincingly. They relied heavily on their defence to make it to the last 16 and then huffed and puffed to beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 on aggregate to make their way into the quarterfinals. Moreover, the squad has never looked settled since Graham Potter took charge. So, Real Madrid’s odds of 11/12 winning this encounter are much better than the Blues’ odds of 7/2.
Conclusion
While all clubs that have made it this far are really good, our UEFA Champions League Predictions say that Manchester City, Napoli, Benfica, and Real Madrid are the squads that will make it to the next stage.
FAQ
Which Teams have made it to the Champions League 2023 ¼ final?
Real Madrid, Chelsea, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Napoli, and Benfica are the 2023 Champions League teams that have made it to the quarter-finals.
When is the first leg of the UEFA Champions League ¼ final?
According to the 2023 Champions League Schedule, the first quarter-finals will be played on April 12th and 13th. Benfica will lock horns with Inter, and Manchester City will take on Bayern Munich on April 12th. Real Madrid will go up against Chelsea, and AC Milan will play Napoli on the next day.
When is the second leg of the UEFA Champions League ¼ final?
The second leg will take place on April 19th and 20th. Napoli and AC Milan will lock horns on 19th April, with Real Madrid also playing Chelsea on the same day. On April 20, Bayern Munich will host Manchester City, whereas Inter will welcome Benfica at home.
Who is the highest scorer in this Champions League 2023 season?
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland is the highest scorer in this Champions League 2023 season, with a total of ten goals to his name.