Champions League quarter-finals: The clubs who dream of being kings of Europe

Holders Chelsea will lead a trio of Premier League clubs into the Champions League quarter-finals as Europe’s elite battle it out for the continent’s biggest club prize.

The world champions, last season’s beaten finalists Manchester City and 2019 winners Liverpool will battle it out with European aristocrats Real Madrid and Bayern Munich among a field which also includes Portugal’s Benfica.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the quarter-finalists ahead of Friday’s draw.

Liverpool

Six-times winners Liverpool signalled their intent with a perfect six wins out of six to top Group B and disposed of Serie A champions Inter Milan in the last 16 following an impressive 2-0 first leg victory at the San Siro. The 1-0 reverse in the return at Anfield is their only defeat in 18 matches in all competitions dating back to the turn of the year, and Wednesday night’s 2-0 win at Arsenal, in which Diogo Jota scored his 13th Premier League goal of the campaign – a tally bettered only by team-mate Mohamed Salah – took them to within a point of leaders Manchester City.

Bayern Munich

Like the Reds, Bayern have been crowned European champions on six occasions, most recently in 2020, and their progression to the last 16 from Group E was similarly flawless and yielded 22 goals, nine of them from star striker Robert Lewandowski. The Poland international helped himself to a hat-trick in an 8-2 aggregate win over RB Salzburg in the last 16 which was secured by a 7-1 second-leg victory for the Bundesliga leaders.

Real Madrid

No club has lifted the trophy on more occasions than Real Madrid, and although it is four years since their 13th triumph, their current run of form suggests they are in the mood to end that mini-drought. Only a shock 2-1 home defeat by Moldovan champions Sheriff Tiraspol denied Real a perfect Group D campaign and their ruthless 3-1 second-leg dismissal of Paris St Germain, which was secured by Karim Benzema’s hat-trick, saw the runaway LaLiga leaders send an ominous message to their rivals.

Manchester City

The Champions League is the big prize missing from Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City CV – he won it twice with Barcelona – and the club’s desire to add its name to an honour roll on which neighbours United feature three times remains undimmed. The Premier League leaders finished top of Group A despite losing at Paris St Germain and RB Leipzig, but trounced Sporting Lisbon 5-0 in Portugal as they cruised into the last eight.

Atletico Madrid

Diego Simeone’s men were laboured in their efforts to make the knockout stage with the three-times runners-up winning only two of their Group B games to finish a distant second to Liverpool. However, Renan Lodi’s first-half header at Old Trafford proved sufficient to end Manchester United’s involvement in the competition and a squad which includes renowned keeper Jan Oblak, Portugal striker Joao Felix and Liverpool and Barcelona old boy Luis Suarez should not be written off.

Benfica

It is 60 years since Benfica last reached the pinnacle of European football and 32 since their most recent final appearance, but the Portuguese club have a rich tradition in the competition. They lost heavily to Bayern Munich home and away, but edged Barcelona into third place in Group E due in large part to a famous 3-0 home win over the Catalan giants, and a side including Jan Vertonghen, Nicolas Otamendi and Adel Taarabt booked its place in the last eight with a 3-2 aggregate victory over Ajax.

Villarreal

Villarreal were one of five Spanish sides to set out in the competition and are among three survivors after finishing just a point behind Manchester United – the side they beat 11-10 on penalties in Gdansk in last season’s Europa League final to clinch their place in the competition – in Group F. Currently sitting in seventh place in LaLiga and 21 points behind leaders Real Madrid, they made it to the quarter-finals after a stunning 3-0 second-leg win over Juventus in Turin, scoring all three goals inside the final 12 minutes.

Chelsea

Since adding the Club World Cup to their Champions League crown, in February, Chelsea have been plunged into uncertainty by the sanctions imposed upon owner Roman Abramovich in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On the pitch, however, they have soldiered on remarkably under the hugely impressive Thomas Tuchel – they are unbeaten in 13 outings in all competitions – emerging from Group H as runners-up behind Juventus following a costly 3-3 draw at Zenit St Petersburg in their final fixture before dispensing comfortably with French side Lille.