Marc Pozzo
For the first time in 10 seasons, four teams from one country will compete in the last eight of the Champions League.
Liverpool’s victory over Bayern Munich in the last 16 means England will now provide 50% of the quarter-final teams in Europe’s top club competition, with Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham the other Premier League sides present.
It evokes memories of the 2000s and the two successive seasons that England provided four quarter-finalists (along with six finalists in five years and two winners – Liverpool in 2005 and Manchester United in 2008). But is this season’s repeat a sign of England’s resurgence on the biggest stage? England’s best era of the Champions League came in the mid-2000s. In 2007-08 and 2008-09, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United all reached the quarter-finals.
The past seven seasons have been largely fallow for English sides in the Champions League, punctuated by the odd moment of success, notably Chelsea’s triumph in Munich in 2011-12 and Liverpool reaching last season’s final. In recent years, Spain has dominated — with three La Liga sides in the last eight in each of the past six seasons. A Spanish side has won each of the past five Champions Leagues – Real Madrid with four and Barcelona with one. Seven of the past 10 finalists have been Spanish with Atletico Madrid losing twice.
But Real’s three-year reign is over, ended brilliantly by Ajax in the last 16 – and Barca are the only Spanish side left now.
The Premier League is the only league to ever have four quarter-finalists, with Italy last having three in 2005-06 and Germany never having more than two. English champions Manchester City are the bookmakers’ favourites to win the Champions League this season. This is the third time in four seasons they have been to the last eight, and in Pep Guardiola they have a two-time winning manager with Barcelona. City have won six of their eight Champions League games this season — including a 6-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk and the 7-0 thrashing of Schalke that helped take them into the quarter-finals.
Sergio Aguero is averaging a goal every 70 minutes in the tournament this season, five goals in five games, but Guardiola admitted they were still “teenagers in the competition” before the Schalke game.
Liverpool are hoping to go one better than last season when they lost to Real Madrid in the final.
Since then they have replaced error-prone goalkeeper Loris Karius with one of the world’s best keepers, Alisson. They have become more solid at the back and brought in almost £100m worth of midfielders in Fabinho and Naby Keita. The five-time European champions have won at crucial stages this season, picking up the 1-0 win against Napoli they needed to progress from the group stages and beating Bayern Munich 3-1 in Germany after drawing the first leg at home. Manchester United are a team reborn under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, picking up a famous 3-1 win at Paris St-Germain with an injury-ravaged team to go through on away goals. The 1968, 1999 and 2008 champions became the first team in European Cup history to overcome a 2-0 or greater home first-leg deficit .Tottenham have shown good progression year on year in Europe, going out in the group stages in 2016-17 and the last 16 last year. But this time round they beat then Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund 4-0 on aggregate to reach the quarter-finals.
Spurs have shown a battling touch this season, too. They were 12 minutes away from going out after four games – but scored twice late on against PSV to stay in the tournament, before beating Inter Milan and drawing against Barcelona go to through. And they are finally expected to be in their new stadium before the quarter-finals.
So the much anticipated draw was held on Friday and it there are some mouthwatering ties . Tottenham will play Manchester City in an all English tie, Manchester Utd will meet Barcelona. Liverpool have Porto and Juventus will face Ajax . The semifinal draw see’s Liverpool play Manchester Utd if they both win their respective matches .
The Champions League final takes place on 1 June at Madrid’s 68,000-capacity Wanda Metropolitano, home of Atletico Madrid. With all this done is English football on the rise? Are they good enough to take on the best in Europe now? They surely must be as teams like Real Madrid need rebuilding. That comes with money and with the return of Zidane that won’t be a problem. So I guess another will tell if English teams can hold their own in Europe .
This weekend I am off to catch the “Ginger “ Ed Sheeran live in concert in Johannesburg certainly can’t wait to be see my favourite songwriter musician . Ed Sheeran’s “÷ Tour” is the fourth-highest-grossing concert tour of all time ($556,500,000). I can’t wait! From Joburg, I will be heading to the great Victoria Falls, with my ZITEAM yes, and “TK” for a live broadcast at the new opening of Pick n Pay’s new store in the new mall. Wednesday we will be live in the Falls.
While I write , I cannot stop thinking of events in our eastern part of the country where Cyclone Idia has caused massive destruction including the loss of lives . The last count, I saw was 82. It’s a massive national disaster for our already ailing struggling country, and my heart aches for all those affected. So the radio station I reside with, ZIFM Stereo along with their other radio stations in Masvingo and Gweru, have made their stations as drop off points for people to drop anything, from non-perishable food ,clothes ,blankets etc – 7 Kenilworth Rd Newlands . Lets make a difference and help . Just take ten minutes out of your day and walk around your home including your pantry, and see what you don’t use, or wear anymore and drop them off with us here . I care – ZIFM CARES .
