Five things you cannot miss in the Champions League quarter-finals | OneFootball

The Champions League is back and the quarter-finals promise some mouth-watering action.

Here’s the lowdown on what not to miss.

All-English clash

After a seven year stretch without two Premier League teams meeting each other in the Champions League, we’ve got the second all-English tie in as many years.

As if that wasn’t exciting enough, it’ll be the first Champions League game ever played at Tottenham’s new stadium.

Pep Guardiola has won just six of 25 Champions League away legs as a manager. Tottenham have never reached a Champions League semi-final.

An amazing underdog run to the latter stages of the competition? Or City’s charge to a quadruple with their first ever Champions League final in sight?

It’s all on the line.

Messi against Manchester United

He hasn’t faced Manchester United at Old Trafford since he was 20, way back in 2008, but if he plays half as well as he has so far this season he will light the stadium up.

It’s just the 33 goals and 12 assists in 29 LaLiga appearances for Messi so far this season. Then another eight goals and three assists in six Champions League appearances.

In his last two games against Manchester United, both finals, he’s scored and ended up on the winning side.

With the Argentine likely to come up against Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Luke Shaw, you have to back him to hurt United once more.

Cristiano Ronaldo

The Portuguese has directly contributed to 75 goals in 77 appearances in the Champions League knockout stages (61 goals, 14 assists).

Is there any stopping him?

Atlético Madrid thought so, turns out they were wrong. But maybe injury can slow Ronaldo down?

The 34-year-old suffered a muscle strain and, if he plays in Amsterdam, he probably won’t be fully fit. Will it be enough?

Ajax’s young stars

Waiting to cause a second upset of a lifetime in the space of a month is a vibrant Ajax side.

There are older players like Daley Blind, Lasse Schöne and Dusan Tadić and players like Hakim Ziyech in their prime. Then the young talents.

With Frenkie de Jong, 21, already on the way to Barcelona, 19-year-old captain Matthijs de Ligt is likely to be the next one out of the door. Juventus are one of Europe’s big names chasing the centre-back.

This Ajax side has a superb balance to it and Real Madrid can tell Juventus what will happen if they underestimate their opponents.

Liverpool’s Anfield fortress

Since the start of last season, Liverpool have played 10 Champions League home games.

They’ve won seven and drawn three. They’ve scored 28 goals and kept seven clean sheets.

Porto have played English opposition away from home 18 times, losing on 15 occasions and failing to score in each of their last seven visits.

This one already seems settled, doesn’t it?