Ranking the teams left in the Champions League quarterfinals
4. Real Madrid CF
Now that we are halfway through the rankings, it is apparent that the latter half will feature clubs who are further superior to the predecessors, thus here we have the greatest team to ever play in the Champions League. The club that actually made the Champions League. The record 13-time winners, Real Madrid.
The Spanish league leaders pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in club history a few weeks ago when they fought back from a two-goal deficit to overcome Paris Saint-Germain, who were the favourite to win the UCL this season, and eliminated the French club with a heavy blow at a crowded Santiago Bernabeu.
Unfortunately, despite all of that success, many football “experts” continue to insult Real Madrid and its connection with the Champions League. Former football players and now pundits Joe Cole and Rio Ferdinand believe Real Madrid are less likely to win the championship than Atletico Madrid, demonstrating how ridiculously inaccurate their comprehension of the game outside of English football is.
Whatever the claims, Real continues to perplex everyone. There is no way, especially after performances like these, that they are among the least likely to win the Champions League, but as previously stated, there appears to be an agenda well beyond the comprehension of a normal football fan.
Real Madrid’s place in the top four of the finest clubs still alive in the quarterfinals is well merited, since they have demonstrated something that the preceding names have not, namely consistency—both throughout the decades and specifically this season.
As Álvaro Arbeloa very famously said, “When everyone thinks we are dead and buried, we go and win the Champions League. This is what Real Madrid is all about.”
3. Liverpool FC
In third place is England’s most successful club in Europe, Liverpool FC, which has won the title a record six times in the country, far more than the other clubs trailing at three (Manchester United), two (Chelsea and Nottingham Forest), and one (Aston Villa).
What a turnaround they’ve had under Jurgen Klopp’s leadership, who has brought the club from a dearth of trophies to a period of winning practically everything they could in successive years. The German manager has delivered multiple trophies to Anfield, including the Champions League, Premier League championship, Club World Cup, Carabao Cup, and many more, while also trailing league leaders Manchester City by only one point in the league standings.
Liverpool is the third-best club on our list for various reasons, including their squad depth and no problems in the scoring department, which is led by Mohamed Salah, who is up there with one of the finest scorers and creators this season, alongside Robert Lewandowski and Karim Benzema.
They have a powerful defensive backline that deserves a lot of credit for cutting the league point differential from about 10 to just 1.
In addition, their performance in the Champions League has not been awful, since they just returned Inter Milan to Italy. They have had moments of trouble, but far less than moments to recall, which could have ended in regret but did not due to Klopp’s great tactical and adaptable management, which is, however, very much exposed at times.
The Reds have looked impressive this season and are hence among the favourites to win it all.