Following a thrilling Round of 16, football fans around the world are gearing up for the Champions League quarterfinals (UCL). There have been some noteworthy losses along the way, with Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund both failing to progress from their respective groups, and more hopes have been dashed in the last 16.
The draw for the Champions League quarterfinals were conducted at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday, March 18 at 4:30 p.m. IST. Along with a draw for the last eight, teams will also learn their semi-final paths, making this the last draw for the 2021-22 season. At this point, the draw is completely open, with no constraints on which teams can be placed against one another. In India, the UEFA Champions League draw will be broadcast on the Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN).
Bayern Munich vs Villareal CF
In the 2021/22 Champions League quarter-finals, Bayern Munich will face Villarreal CF. Julian Nagelsmann will have to succeed where Juventus failed, as the so-called Yellow Submarines have shown to be shrewd European opponents. Unai Emery has proven that he is much more than a Europa League specialist, and Bayern must be on their toes to avoid a repeat of Allegri and Juventus’ fate.
Bayern has one edge in the second leg: they will be playing at home. This allows the club time to get Alphonso Davies and Leon Goretzka back to full fitness, as well as time for Nagelsmann to prepare in case coach Emery pulls a surprise in the first leg.
Villarreal, led by Unai Emery, eliminated Juventus in the past round, winning 3-0 in Turin in the second leg, but they have a great European history, having defeated Manchester United in the Europa League final last season. The Champions League, however, is a different issue, despite Emery’s tactical ability and track record as a coach, having won four Europa Leagues.
Bayern will be ecstatic to be partnered with a team currently in seventh place in LaLiga with only a few weeks remaining in the season. Villarreal will try to suffocate Bayern with a defensive strategy, but Gerard Moreno and Arnaut Danjuma will always pose a threat.
Bayern are capable of overwhelming any opponent in ruthless fashion, as they demonstrated in the round of 16 with a 7-1 second-leg win against FC Salzburg in Munich. Bayern’s attacking quality includes Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller, Serge Gnabry, and Leroy Sane.
Bayern are the Champions League’s top scorers this season, with 30 goals, and are the only unbeaten team still in the competition. Bayern are poised to be the top scorers and only unbeaten team by the time they prepare for the quarterfinals, unless Villarreal pulls off a stunning upset. In other fixtures, Chelsea will face Real Madrid, Manchester City to take on Atlético Madrid, and Benfica to play Liverpool.
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Published By : Ankit Singh
Edited By : Khushi Thakur
