#UCLDraws: Man City, Liverpool or Chelsea, Which English team can win this season’s Champions League?
You must have heard this popular saying; ” When the going gets tough, the tough get going”, “Tough times don’t last, tough people, do.” It’s about that time in the UEFA Champions League.
The UEFA Champions League is in its quarter-finals stage and the fate of each team is already going under the scrutiny of history, pedigree, performances leading up to this stage, squad depth among other factors.
The English teams without an iota of doubt are the centre of attraction at this point with three teams: Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester in the quarter-finals.
The three teams have heard a very impressive run of form leading up to this stage as they topped their respective groups before the knockout stage.
The Last time three English teams (Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham) played at this stage of the competition was in the 2018-2019 season where Liverpool emerged victorious over Tottenham at the Wanda Metropolitano.
History has repeated itself as Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea are the three English representatives in the last eight of the competition.
So many questions are begging for answers at this point but the most important one as far English football fans are concerned are: Will the UEFA Champions League trophy return to England? Which team will most likely be crowned Champions?
If there is any team that wants the Champions League most, then it to be Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. The Spaniard is yet to lay his hands on the prestigious trophy since 2011. Since, his arrival at the Etihad in 2014, the Manchester-based club are yet to progress beyond the quarter-finals of the competition in four attempts.
However, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City has been one of the best teams in the competition this season. The Citizens are yet to concede in the knockout stage so far after thrashing Borrusia Monchengladbach 4-0 on aggregate in the previous round.
Manchester City will have to be at their best against the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Liverpool if they are to progress beyond this stage for the first time because history has shown that missed chances, defensive errors among others have been the bane of their failures in recent past.
Liverpool’s season so far can be likened to the sides of a coin. While the Merseyside team have been abysmal, to say the least in the league, they have found a way to keep the smiles on the faces of their fans in the UEFA Champions League.
Liverpool progressed to the quarter-finals with a comfortable 4 nil aggregate score victory over last season’s semi-finalist, RB Leipzig. The Reds are on course to win their seventh title but they are considered one of the least favourites going into the last eight of the competition even though they won the competition two years ago.
The Reds still have an experienced and formidable squad that can compete at this stage of the competition with the likes of Mane, Salah, Firmino, and Thiago Alcantara Wijnaldum among others.
However, the defence line of Nathan Phillips and Ozan Kabak will have to up the ante at this stage. Although both centre back pairings have been impressive in the last few games with two successive clean sheets.
Even though they have been termed as one of the underdogs, any team undermining Jurgen Klopp’s side will do so at their peril.
Chelsea are enjoying a renaissance under new manager, Thomas Tuchel. The German has turned the fortune of the London side around especially in the league.
The former PSG coach made a huge statement with the home and away victories he recorded against 2016 finalist, Atletico Madrid in the round of 16.
Chelsea haven’t played in the semi-finals of the competition since they lost to Atletico Madrid 3-1 on aggregate in the 2013-2014 season.
However, the victory over Atletico Madrid hasn’t sent shivers done the spines of other contenders and Thomas Tuchel who led PSG to their first-ever Champions League final might just lead the Blues to another final for the first time since 2012.
Of the three teams, based on form and squad quality and depth Manchester City appears to be the favourite to lift the trophy but their recent antecedents continue to hunt them like a ghost.
Liverpool won just two years ago, so they still have the experience to navigate their way around this stage but that will depend on the team they face.
Chelsea are the least favourite to win even though they have a very good coach and a better squad than last season.
In the end, football is not mathematics, form, squad depth, the experience might not necessarily come into play for the team that will eventually win the competition. Rather, luck might be the deciding factor and if luck will shine on any team based on the number of heartbreaks they have suffered in recent seasons, it has to be Manchester City.
