Bayern Munich's potential opponents in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals
Bayern Munich moved one step closer to a seventh continental crown by storming past Salzburg and into the last eight of the UEFA Champions League, but who could they face in the next round?
Ahead of Friday's quarter-final draw at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, we look at the seven clubs who could end up standing between the Bavarian giants and a spot in the semis.
- Atletico Madrid
How they made it this far
With just seven points from six games, Atletico scraped through as the runners-up of Group B, which was dominated by Liverpool. As well as losing both of their meetings with the English side, they failed to beat either Porto or AC Milan on home soil and picked up three red cards in six outings. Diego Simeone's side did claim a 2-1 aggregate victory over Manchester United in the last 16, but they aren't looking quite like the never-say-die outfit who reached the final of this competition in 2014 and 2016 (losing on both occasions to city rivals Real Madrid). Despite some heroics from goalkeeper Jan Oblak in Manchester, they have already conceded nine goals in eight games in the current campaign.
Record against Bayern
The two clubs famously met in the 1974 European Cup final, where a last-gasp equaliser from Bayern's Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck forced a replay – which the Germans won 4-0 to lift the trophy for the first time. After a long hiatus, they played each other again in the 2015/16 semi-finals, and this time Atletico came out on top. That was their only two-legged tie in the competition's history; in four subsequent group stage meetings, it's been two wins for Bayern, one for Atleti and one draw. In October 2020, Hansi Flick's reigning treble winners made headlines by romping to a 4-0 win over Simeone's men at the Allianz Arena.
Star man: Jan Oblak
Bayern have had twice as many shots on goal as Atletico over the course of their last three European meetings, and gave Europe a timely reminder of their attacking might with that seven-goal salvo against Salzburg. Oblak is likely to be kept very busy by Robert Lewandowski and Co. should the two sides face off again in the quarters, and his ability to keep Bayern at bay is sure to play a major part in the final outcome. The Slovenia keeper saved a Thomas Müller penalty to help Atletico reach the final six years ago.
- Benfica
How they made it this far
Benfica qualified from the same group as Bayern, although they conceded two heavy defeats to the Bavarians and ended up with 10 fewer points. The big highlight for the Portuguese club was a 3-0 home win over Barcelona in September, although optimism was somewhat dampened as they were then thumped 4-0 and 5-2 by Julian Nagelsmann's side. Coach Jorge Jesus has since been replaced by Nelson Verissimo, who guided the Eagles to an impressive 3-2 aggregate win over Ajax in the last 16.
Record against Bayern
Having shipped nine goals against Bayern in the autumn, Benfica will be praying that their name doesn't come out of the plastic ball on Friday. They have lost nine of their 12 games against the German champions in this competition, drawing the other three in aggregate defeats. In this season's two meetings, they had 16 shots to Bayern's 46.
Star man: Darwin Nunez
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In a similar way to Atletico, Benfica will need their goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos in epic form if they hope to withstand Bayern's frontmen, although the Greece stopper will only be able to help out at one end of the pitch. At the other, Verissimo will be putting his faith in Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez, who scored twice in the win over Barcelona and then powered in the header that sent Benfica into the quarter-finals at the expense of Ajax.
- Chelsea
How they made it this far
A surprise 3-3 draw with Zenit in their final group game meant Chelsea had to settle for second place in Group H, but the defending champions had shown they meant business with a 4-0 thrashing of Juventus in their previous outing. Managed by ex-Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel, the Blues earned their place in the quarter-finals with a fairly routine 4-1 aggregate victory over French side Lille.
Record against Bayern
Few Bayern fans will have forgotten how Chelsea denied them a dream Champions League victory in the 2012 final at the Allianz Arena, although the Bundesliga outfit got a measure of revenge during the 2019/20 campaign, powering to a 7-1 aggregate victory in the last 16 on their way to winning the title. Bayern also edged the English club on penalties to lift the UEFA Super Cup in August 2013.
Star man: Kai Havertz
Watch: Havertz, forged as a false nine in the Bundesliga
Chelsea have world-class players all over the pitch – and were named Club of the Year at the 2021 Ballon d'Or Ceremony – but it's often Kai Havertz who pops up with the big goals on the biggest occasions. The former Bayer Leverkusen sensation, still only 22, was the man who scored the Champions League-winning goal in last season's final against Manchester City, before slotting in the penalty against Palmeiras that allowed the club to secure the FIFA Club World Cup for the first time. Havertz won't have hugely fond memories of facing Bayern though, having lost five of his seven games against them with Leverkusen.
- Liverpool
How they made it this far
Like Bayern, Liverpool won all six of their group stage matches, and like Bayern, they are chasing a seventh Champions League title. However, Jürgen Klopp's men had to dig deep in 3-2 wins over AC Milan and Atletico back in the autumn, and the former Dortmund coach spoke of some "slapstick" finishing in their 1-0 loss to Inter Milan last time out. Despite conceding their first defeat at Anfield in a year, the English side progressed 2-1 on aggregate thanks to goals from ex-Hoffenheim forward Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah at the San Siro.
Record against Bayern
Bayern and Liverpool are two of Europe's biggest footballing powerhouses, but they have had surprisingly few encounters in the Champions League; they met in the semi-finals in 1980/81 and the last 16 in 2018/19. On both occasions, Liverpool progressed after a goalless draw in the first leg and went on to lift the trophy.
Star man: Mohamed Salah
Liverpool have a squad bursting with talent, but Mo Salah has been doing the most significant damage in the Champions League, racking up eight goals in as many outings. The only player left in the competition who has more is Lewandowski, with 12. But Bayern's defence will have to keep a close eye on the Egyptian star, who also tops the Premier League scoring charts with 20 goals.
- Manchester City
How they made it this far
Manchester City claimed top spot in Group A ahead of fellow behemoths Paris Saint-Germain, although they didn't have it all their own way in the group stage. As well as losing 2-0 to PSG on the road, they looked out of sorts in a 2-1 reverse to RB Leipzig, with goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Andre Silva earning the Bundesliga side a place in the UEFA Europa League play-offs. City were in ominous form, on the other hand, as they stormed to a 5-0 first-leg win over Sporting Lisbon in the last 16, essentially putting the tie to bed with four first-half goals. A goalless second leg ensured straightforward passage to the last eight.
Record against Bayern
The six Champions League matches between the two clubs have all come in the group stage, between 2011 and 2014. So far it's all square, with three wins apiece. Two of Bayern's came when City boss Pep Guardiola was still in charge at the Allianz Arena, with Müller one of the players on the scoresheet in a 3-1 victory in Manchester in October 2013.
Star man: Kevin De Bruyne
Watch: Kevin De Bruyne, Made in the Bundesliga
Guardiola has favoured a false nine system without a genuine striker this season, although that hasn't stopped City scoring for fun. When he's been fit, Kevin De Bruyne has been at the heart of their attacking machine, although the Belgian pass master has yet to score in the Champions League this term. Still, Bayern would do well to be extremely wary of the former Werder Bremen and Wolfsburg star, who was the Bundesliga's leading assist provider in 2014/15.
- Real Madrid
How they made it this far
Real Madrid fell to a shock 2-1 defeat at home to Sheriff Tiraspol on Matchday 2 of the group stage, but otherwise it was business as usual for the record 13-time champions, as home and away victories over Inter Milan ensured top spot in Group D. Things looked to be unravelling in their last-16 tie with PSG – especially when Kylian Mbappe gave the French side a 2-0 aggregate lead at the Santiago Bernabeu – but Karim Benzema stepped up to save the day, hitting a second-half hat-trick as the Spanish giants snatched a place in the quarters.
Record against Bayern
The most decorated clubs in Germany and Spain, Bayern and Real have gone head-to-head no fewer than 26 times in the Champions League. Curiously, they have only met twice in the group stage (1999/2000) and never in the final, with the rest of their encounters coming over two legs. Recent history has favoured Real. Bayern last overcame the Spanish side in a knockout tie back in 2011/12 – on penalties – but ended up losing the "Finale Dahoam" after another shootout against Chelsea.
Star man: Karim Benzema
Benzema has at times carried Real this season, and the sensational last-16 win over PSG was a perfect illustration of his importance to former Bayern coach Carlo Ancelotti's side. The Frenchman's treble at the Bernabeu took him to eight goals in the Champions League, to go with a league-high 22 in La Liga. He also has previous against Bayern, having scored four goals in 10 career meetings with the Bavarians.
- Villarreal
How they made it this far
Villarreal earned their place in the knockout stage by beating Atalanta 3-2 in a winner-takes-all clash in Bergamo. The Yellow Submarine lost both of their games to Group F winners Manchester United – the team they defeated to win last season's Europa League – but showed incredible grit to oust Juventus in the last 16. After a 1-1 draw on home soil, Unai Emery's side stunned the Italians with a 3-0 win in Turin, reaching the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2008/09.
Record against Bayern
Bayern and Villarreal have only played each other twice in this competition, in the group stages of the 2011/12 campaign. The Germans came out on top on both occasions, winning 2-0 at La Ceramica and 3-1 at the Allianz Arena.
Star man: Arnaut Danjuma
With main striker Gerard Moreno often sidelined by injury this season, Danjuma has emerged as the focal point of Villarreal's attack, netting five goals in the Champions League and another eight in La Liga. The 25-year-old Netherlands international, who signed from Bournemouth last summer, notched a brace in the must-win game against Atalanta, and applied the finishing touch to the famous win at Juventus Stadium with a late penalty.
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