With the draw for the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals taking place on Friday, it's a good time to take a look at all of Real Madrid's possible opponents in the round of 16, from the most difficult to the easiest. The other teams remaining in the competition are Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Chelsea, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Napoli and Benfica.
Bayern Munich is an absolute destroyer in the Champions League this season, having won all 8 matches, scoring 21 goals and conceding only 2, while keeping 7 clean sheets along the way. The Bundesliga giants must be the favorites to win the competition based on form and must be the team to avoid in the draw.
Manchester City are not at their best this season. But with a player like Erling Haaland in the squad, who scored five goals in the second leg against RB Leipzig, along with other top players, they are certainly a team to be considered one of the most invincible contenders. enemy.
Napoli are another team that have become absolute machines this year, having overcome Eintracht Frankfurt in the Round of 16 with a final score of 5-0 and leading Serie A with 18 points. The duo Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia must certainly be wary.
Ranking Real Madrid's possible opponents in the round of 16 of the Champions League
Benfica has been an underdog this season, with an eight-point lead in the domestic league. In the Champions League, they are unbeaten, topping the group that includes both PSG and Juventus. They defeated Club Brugge in the round of 16 with a final score of 7-1. Therefore, they cannot be taken lightly.
AC Milan are in better form than their city rivals and overcame tough rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the round of 16. A defensive team that is hard to break at times, Real Madrid may have a hard time going against them but will get the job done if they meet.
As of now, Inter Milan is second in Serie A. But with a wobbly form this season and not being able to produce many goals against FC Porto in the round of 16, Real Madrid should be delighted if they are held to a draw against Simone Inzaghi's side.
Chelsea have been in a slump this season and haven't really regained their confidence. A team with depth but not playing as a team at the moment, they are 10th in the Premier League. Real Madrid have had some epic games against the Blues in recent seasons but this period could be one-sided if they reunite.
So, in the end, here is the ranking of Real Madrid's possible opponents in the Champions League quarter-finals:
first. Bayern Munich, 2. Manchester City, 3. Napoli, 4. Benfica, 5. AC Milan, 6. Inter Milan and 7. Chelsea.
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Barcelona were dealt a blow when Radio Catalunya reported that Ousmane Dembele had suffered a relapse during training while recovering. There are currently doubts about his involvement with Real Madrid in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final.
The report states that the French player's muscles need time to recover from injury and this causes these setbacks.
Barcelona have faced Real Madrid three times this season in the past and the two teams will also face off at Camp Nou this weekend. Dembele is also sidelined in this game and will be. And if he also misses the Copa del Rey Clasico, he will only play two out of five matches between the two teams.
That said, the international break starts next week and Dembele's return to the pitch could depend on his recovery in the meantime.
The winger picked up a muscle injury against Girona in the first half when he followed a loose pass on the left flank. Initially, he was sidelined for almost three weeks, but his injury did not follow the schedule he was given.
Luckily for Xavi and his teammates, Pedri is back training with the team and is set to start the Super Classics this weekend. He will also be fit for the match on April 5 against the capital team.
Moreover, Raphinha also seems to have found the right form for Barcelona. He scored the winning goal in the week's head-to-head games against Athletic Club and Valencia, and scored and assisted both goals against Manchester United in a 2-2 draw at Camp Nou.
In the end, however, it looks like Barcelona won't be in a hurry with Dembele for the Copa del Rey clash, especially as they have led Madrid 0-1 in the first leg.
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