Champions League Quarter-finals Preview: Man City on fire, Chelsea in trouble

The Champions League (UCL) rumbles on next week, with the second leg of the quarter-final ties scheduled to be played on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Bayern Munich have a mountain to climb in their tie against Manchester City, while Benfica are in big trouble against Inter Milan.

Napoli must recover from a one-goal deficit to see off AC Milan and Chelsea have a two-goal margin to bridge against Real Madrid.

Read on as we preview the upcoming games, starting with the clash between Bayern and Man City at the Allianz Arena.

Bayern Munich vs Manchester City

Fans were treated to an epic performance by Man City as the English champions swept Bayern aside with contemptuous ease last Tuesday.

Pep Guardiola’s side secured a 3-0 victory and will fancy their chances of completing the job in one of the most accessible stadiums in the Champions League.

However, they would be well-advised not to underestimate a Bayern side that will be desperate to put their first leg performance firmly behind them.

Bayern have won their four home games in this season’s competition by an aggregate 11-0 scoreline and could cause City problems if they score an early goal.

City have won one and drawn three of their four away matches in the UCL and should have enough about them to finish off Bayern in Germany.

Chelsea vs Real Madrid

Chelsea are in big trouble against Real Madrid in their quarter-final tie and will find it difficult to book their place in the last four.

The reigning champions eased to a 2-0 victory in Spain, with goals by Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio putting them in control of the tie.

Madrid’s hugely impressive 5-2 win at Liverpool in the previous round highlighted their ability to tear teams apart in this competition.

Chelsea are in the midst of a dismal season and the Champions League represents their last chance of winning major silverware this season.

The Blues will need to start well at Stamford Bridge if they are to mount a comeback, but it’s tough to imagine them upsetting the odds against Madrid.

Napoli vs AC Milan

AC Milan nabbed a slender advantage over Napoli in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final to set up a finely-poised second meeting.

Napoli had Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa sent off in the second-half and were easily kept at arm’s length by Milan’s dogged defensive performance.

Milan recently recorded an emphatic 4-0 victory at Napoli in Serie A, but are unlikely to find things as easy on their latest visit.

Napoli will welcome back free-scoring striker Victor Osimhen for the second leg and he could be the difference-maker in this tie.

Osimhen has netted four goals in five Champions League appearances this season and looks a good bet to add to his tally against Milan.

Inter Milan vs Benfica

Barring a miracle at the San Siro, Inter Milan should have little difficulty progressing to the semi-finals after comfortably defeating Benfica in their first meeting.

Goals by Nicolo Barella and Romelu Lukaku put Inter in a strong position to advance to the last four and they are strongly fancied to see off the Portuguese side.

Inter had failed to win their previous six matches, but produced a defensive masterclass against a team that had previously impressed in this competition.

Benfica dominated possession but rarely troubled Inter’s defence and they will not find things any easier in the San Siro.

Inter have won three out of four home games in the competition this term and can enhance that record with another victory here.