Ranking the teams most likely to advance to Champions League semifinals

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VILLARREAL, SPAIN – APRIL 06: Serge Gnabry of Bayern München gestures during the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Leg One match between Villarreal CF and Bayern München at Estadio de la Ceramica on April 06, 2022 in Villarreal, Spain. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images) /

4. Bayern Munich

When I state that the prospects of both teams going to the semifinals are very much in dispute, I try to back up my assertion by ranking Bayern Munich right after Villarreal in terms of growing possibilities of advancing to the next round, which is entirely warranted.

The contest between the Bavarians and the Yellow Submarines was unexpected and came as a complete surprise to the Germans. If there was one game out of the four that could be predicted, it was this one, but all forecasts were proven incorrect.

The superb pairing of Raul Albiol and Pau Torres completely contained the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry. Alphonso Davies’ return from injury was also inconvenient for Bayern since he had little to give in comparison to his usual lethal play.

However, in my opinion, the Munich squad still has the upper hand in the game since Julian Nagelsmann will most likely devise a strategy to reverse the tides back at the Allianz Arena.

With a more mobile left-wing and a few creative changes in the midfield to aid Lewandowski, the squad will almost certainly overcome Villarreal and advance to the Champions League semifinals.

3. Manchester City FC

Manchester City is firmly in third place in this series, and justifiably so. After a devastating loss in last season’s final, they are the popular favourite to win the Champions League this season. The squad is sharper than ever, and curiously, we have yet to see Pep Guardiola’s innovations fail in key games.

Their first-leg match against Atletico Madrid was a major concern since there was no chance to score until Kevin De Bruyne slotted the ball into the back of the net in the second half. Simeone’s very defensive tactics did not bear fruit, as the English team continued to pose threats while still being solid defensively in the rare counter-attacking scenarios from the La Liga giants.

While the deficit appears to be little on paper, City’s mental advantage over Atletico is enormous, and it will be critical to expanding the lead in the second leg.

Diego Simeone, on the other hand, is not a manager who can be comprehended in a few words. He has a lot of experience knocking off English heavyweights like Liverpool and Manchester United, and if he uses the right methods, he could have a shot at Manchester City as well, but the chances are slim.

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