Champions League power rankings: Barcelona remains the team to beat
Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid still form a triumvirate that reigns over Europe, and the trio of super clubs did well to avoid each other at the quarterfinal stage of the Champions League. If all three advance, the semifinals promise mouthwatering clashes next month.
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The final eight features a collection of teams that all have the ability to advance. Surprises at this stage of the competition are almost expected.
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To follow up on our last-16 rankings, here's a look at the quarterfinalists listed in order of their chances to raise the Champions League trophy in Berlin on June 6.
1. Barcelona. Over two legs in the round of 16, Lionel Messi looked like he was back to his brilliant best. He looked like the best player in Europe again, and his magical return to the summit makes Barcelona the team to beat in Europe. While the Catalan club recently drew 2-2 away to Sevilla in La Liga, Barcelona had won its previous nine matches by an aggregate score of 24-5. Even in the 2-2 draw, Messi managed a curling effort from the right side that ended up in the far left corner. Adding to Messi, Neymar struck a superb free kick goal that should serve as a confidence boost to the Brazilian, who has been wasteful in front of goal. Barcelona is still the favorite to win it all.
UEFA Stat: Barcelona has reached the quarterfinals for a record eighth consecutive season.
2. Bayern Munich. The German powerhouse is dealing with an injury crisis but continues to churn out results. Bayern is into the semifinals of the German cup and have a sizable advantage in the Bundesliga. Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Medhi Benatia and Tom Stake headline the contingent of injured players. However, Thiago Alcantara is back fit for the first time in ages. Also, Philipp Lahm is available and Javi Martinez is training again. Of the healthy crew, Robert Lewandowski remains key, as the striker has six goals in his last six appearances across all competitions. With Pep Guardiola at the helm, Bayern still plays some of the most dominating football in Europe, regardless of which players take the pitch.
UEFA Stat: Bayern has qualified for the Champions League semifinals in each of the past three campaigns.
3. Real Madrid. Cristiano Ronaldo may be slightly overshadowed by Messi domestically and in Europe, but the Portuguese international has 10 goals in his last six matches across all competitions. Real Madrid responded to losing to Barcelona on March 22 by winning its next three matches by an aggregate score of 14-1. With regulars Luka Modric, James Rodriguez and Sergio Ramos healthy, Madrid looks lethal again. Los Blancos have only suffered one defeat in the Champions League this season, a shock 4-3 defeat to Schalke in the second leg of the round of 16. Real Madrid is hoping to become the first team to repeat as champion in the Champions League era.
UEFA Stat: Real Madrid has reached the quarterfinals for the fifth consecutive year and advanced to the final four in each of the past four seasons.
4. Juventus. The Italian champion had won six matches in a row before suffering a 1-0 defeat to Parma in the Italian league. Injuries and a weakened squad played a part in Saturday's defeat, but Juve remains comfortably ahead in Serie A and has secured passage to the Coppa Italia final. Easily the best team in Italy in recent seasons, Juventus looks in line to finally transfer its domestic form to Europe. The Old Lady of Italian football beat Borussia Dortmund comprehensively by an aggregate score of 5-1 in the round of 16. While AS Monaco proved to be a worthy opponent against Arsenal, Juventus should end the French club’s surprising run in Europe.
UEFA Stat: Juventus have won all 10 of its knockout ties against French teams.
5. Atletico Madrid. Atleti has faced Real Madrid six times in the 2014-15 campaign, and Diego Simeone’s side is unbeaten against its famous neighbor. In all, Atletico Madrid has won four of the meetings, including a 4-0 thrashing in the most recent Feb. 7 meeting at Vicente Calderon. The red and whites come into the quarterfinals unbeaten in their last eight matches across all competitions, and Atletico Madrid last lost head-to-head to Real Madrid in the Champions League final, which required extra time to separate the two rivals. If any team feels comfortable drawing Real Madrid, it is definitely Atleti.
UEFA Stat: Atletico Madrid has won all four of its Champions League matches at home, outscoring the opposition by an aggregate score of 11-0.
6. Paris Saint-Germain. Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s absence in the first leg due to suspension hurts the French title holders tremendously. Ibrahimovic tallied five goals in his past two appearances with the French club, and the towering Swede has a remarkable record of 13 goals in his last seven appearances for club and country. Along with Ibrahimovic, PSG is also without standout midfielder Marco Verratti, who is also serving a one-match ban. In the group stage, the Parisian club beat Barcelona 3-2 at home and suffered a 3-1 defeat at the Camp Nou. Having knocked out Chelsea despite playing the second leg down a man for the majority of the match, the big-spending Ligue 1 club should not be taken lightly at this stage.
UEFA Stat: PSG is unbeaten in 33 European home games dating back to a 4-2 group stage defeat in November 2006 to Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC.
7. FC Porto. Being ranked seventh out of eight may not be flattering for the Portuguese power, but that is based on the teams ahead, rather than an indication of Porto’s lack of quality. In particular, Porto’s home record in the Champions League is immaculate with four wins and a draw, which includes the qualifying round. Over those five European home fixtures, Porto has outscored its opposition 15-2.
UEFA Stat: A season ago, Porto earned its first victory against a German side over two legs in 37 years when Porto defeated Eintracht Frankfurt on away goals in the UEFA Europa League round of 32. The last two times Porto advanced past the quarterfinals, it won the competition.
8. AS Monaco. Monaco played a brilliant first leg against Arsenal in the round of 16, and the French side boasted a stellar defensive record up until that point. However, the Gunners exposed Monaco in the second leg with a comprehensive 2-0 defeat that only allowed the club to advance on away goals. While Monaco’s appearance in the final eight is well deserved and should be celebrated, Juventus comes into the tie as a heavy favorite. However, Monaco faced the same scenario in the round of 16 and managed to qualify for the final eight.
UEFA Stat: Monaco last faced Italian opposition in the 1998 Champions League semifinals, when Juventus knocked out the French side. Monaco has won just one of six previous knockout ties against teams from Italy.
Shahan Ahmed is a soccer columnist for Yahoo Sports. He has previously written about the 2014 World Cup and 2013 Confederations Cup and regularly provides opinions on the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A and Spanish La Liga. Follow Shahan on Twitter: @ShahanLA and @perfectpass
