UEFA Champions League (UCL) Fantasy continues this evening, which means a chance for managers to make further changes to their teams.
Here, our European football writer ‘Stats Don’t Lie’ looks back on last night’s matches and previews Wednesday’s action.
For a recap of his captaincy and differential picks for tonight, read this piece.
MAKE CHANGES TO YOUR UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FANTASY TEAM HERE
The second legs of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) quarter-finals got underway yesterday and boy, was there lots of emotion, lots of action and lots of twists.
TUESDAY’S LESSONS LEARNED
Emery Takes No Prisoners
What a story! Villarreal did well just getting out of a pretty difficult group that involved Atalanta and Manchester United and I don’t think anyone would’ve predicted that in their next two ties they would knock out Juventus and Bayern Munich. Bayern looked all set to take the game at least to extra-time until Samuel Chukwueze scored late to seal a memorable night for ‘the Yellow Submarine’, who scored with their only shot on target. Bayern are now left to rue a multitude of missed chances across the two legs, while Villarreal prepare for a likely semi-final tie vs Liverpool.
Chelsea slip up late on
What a game this was! I think the only thing missing was a red card, but all the drama was there. After the first leg, everyone would’ve expected a big reaction from Chelsea but the way they played up to the 80th minute was relentless. Real Madrid had absolutely no say in the game and the crowd were completely silenced. But then Luka Modric did what Luka Modric does, adding one of the best assists in UCL history to his already crazy catalogue of attacking returns. And still, we could’ve had a late twist in normal time with Christian Pulisic missing two absolutely huge injury-time chances!
After that things started going downhill with Real and the crowd putting more pressure on Chelsea, but the way the tie was decided was just cruel. Chelsea fans will remember the heartbreak of 2008 where John Terry’s slip in the penalty shootout was the decider. Unfortunately yesterday the decider was an Antonio Rudiger slip, which is a shame after a monster display throughout the game that he capped with a great goal. At the end of the day, Real could rely on something that Chelsea have been missing all season: a quality number nine that is clinical and can feed on scraps, and it was only fitting that Karim Benzema (arguably the player of the competition so far) got them over the line.
What to Expect on Wednesday
A fiery affair awaits at Wanda Metropolitano
Manchester City head to Madrid with a first leg 1-0 lead, which means that it’s still all to play for. Atletico Madrid rotated surprisingly few players at the weekend and still lost to lowly Mallorca. They will definitely look to put their past couple of performances behind them in front of a home crowd, and the prospect of a semi-final derby against Real will make the win all the more desirable for fans of Los Colchoneros. Man City meanwhile, come off the back of a typically gruelling and high-intensity game versus Liverpool but have the luxury of a deep squad, so we will likely see more than a few changes from the weekend draw, such as Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez returning to the side.
Benfica to do what Chelsea couldn’t?
You’d be forgiven for thinking this tie is effectively over because to go through, Benfica would have to do something Chelsea couldn’t in even harsher conditions. Firstly, they have a worse squad than the Blues. Secondly, they encounter Liverpool, who are an even more difficult opponent than Real Madrid. Finally, they face an even more hostile crowd at Anfield. If they are to write their name in the history books, they will have to start by silencing the Merseyside faithful, for which an early goal will be critical. They will then need to maintain a high intensity all game and rely on their bench to replenish energy levels when those drop off.
Darwin Nunez warmed up for this game with a hat-trick and will look to use the confidence he is playing with to add to his first-leg goal. For Liverpool, the task is simple: finish the job. They are firmly in the driving seat and know that even one goal, particularly early, will take the wind out of Benfica’s sails. Expect a fast start from both teams, while Jurgen Klopp will also have the luxury of brilliant attacking talents on the bench to kill the game off in the second half if need be.
