Who Will Rise To The Top In The UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League will soon reach the stage of the quarterfinals. As with past years, it has thrown up its fair share of surprises in the lineup. This season though, the makeup of the eight quarterfinalists might not be far from what most people will expect to see.
There is little doubt though that it will remain difficult to predict the winner of the competition. There is very little to separate the remaining few clubs from each other. Each club has its own strengths and weaknesses, but are all proud competitors on the field.
The prospect of having all the four English football clubs featuring again in the last eight might not be taken well by the other European countries. However, English fans will not mind having one of their own lift the trophy for a second year running. Manchester United leads from the front once again with their complete and powerful squad.
Spanish football clubs have yet to reassert their authority from many years ago. While clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona continue to be respected, they are no longer feared. This does not take away from the fact that one of the two could yet make their way to this season’s final showpiece.
The same could be said about Italian football. Their national champions Inter Milan had the unfortunate draw against Manchester United and are likely to be eliminated. But the other two representatives in Juventus and AS Roma could still fly the flag of Italian football if they manage to overcome their English rivals.
The rest of the draw might consist of any number of teams from Germany, Portugal, Greece and France. Most of them remain underdogs and rightly so, based on the strength of their squads and performances so far. A few might be able to throw up a few surprises if luck and momentum remain on their side.
One team that could experience success would be Bayern Munich. The German team was the first side to book their place in the quarterfinal draw, after their demolition of Sporting Lisbon in the previous round. However, much will depend on the ability of their manager to motivate the team for a final push if they hope to reach the final in May.
Every season, the UEFA Champions League continues to throw up several surprises. This season is bound to have football fans encountering more of them. Any of the remaining teams could rise above the competition and win it all. This unpredictability is also the reason why it remains the premier football tournament of the world.
