⛅️ UCL Forecast: Big guns face off with Istanbul final in sight | OneFootball

We’re down to the final eight in this season’s Champions League with the quarter-finals taking place this week.

Here’s what we’re expecting from four intriguing encounters.

💪 Game of the week

Manchester City v Bayern

We may be down to the final eight of this season’s Champions League but one game stands above all others in this year’s quarter-finals.

Manchester City host Bayern Munich on Tuesday in what looks like being a game for the ages.

The Bavarian giants come into this clash having recently appointed Thomas Tuchel as coach – a nemesis of City boss Pep Guardiola.

Guardiola recently called his German counterpart “the best in the world” but the Citizens will be hoping they can dent his reputation somewhat with a win at the Etihad.

They come into this match having beaten Southampton at the weekend with Erling Haaland back from injury and back amongst the goals.

The Norway international has now bagged a remarkable 44 goals in all competitions including 10 in the Champions League.

Bayern meanwhile, come into this quarter-final unbeaten in Europe this season having conceded just two goals.

📊 Fun fact: This will be the seventh meeting between these two sides with both teams winning three each so far.

🔮 Our prediction: Manchester City 3-2 Bayern Munich

🤔 Too close to call

Milan v Napoli

It’s an all-Serie A encounter at San Siro as Milan host Napoli on Wednesday.

Before the start of April, this would have been considered something of a walkover for the Partenopei, such has been their dominance domestically in Italy.

But April 2 proved that this Napoli side are beatable and can be got at if the opposition are on their game.

Milan went to Naples that Sunday and hammered Luciano Spalletti’s side, winning 4-0 with Rafael Leão proving his worth as one of the deadliest strikers in Europe right now.

Was that performance a one-time flash in the pan for the Rossoneri or can Stefano Pioli’s men produce something equally magical this week?

To do so, they’ll have to beat one of the very best teams on the continent right now, who got back to winning ways immediately after that embarrassing defeat to Milan by beating Lecce and going one step closer to the Scudetto.

📊 Fun fact: This will be the first meeting between these two teams in European competition.

🔮 Our prediction: Milan 1-2 Napoli

😨 Potential upset

Real Madrid v Chelsea

They couldn’t, could they?

Despite getting Chelsea to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, Graham Potter was given the boot just over a week ago with the hope that a new manager bounce would give the Blues some added oomph at Santiago Bernabèu.

What they didn’t count on was that new manager being Frank Lampard.

The club legend was given a second bite at the coaching apple and hired as a short-term replacement for Potter until the end of the season.

In his first game back however, the west London side were humbled at Wolves with Lampard unable to fix Chelsea’s problems in front of goal.

They now go to Real Madrid on Wednesday and face a Los Blancos side who have been consistently inconsistent since Christmas.

An historic Clásico win last week put the capital club on cloud nine but they came crashing back down to earth over the weekend as Villarreal beat them 3-2.

📊 Fun fact: Chelsea have only lost one of their seven games against Real Madrid in European competitions.

🔮 Our prediction: Real Madrid 2-1 Chelsea

🤩 Star man

Gonçalo Ramos (Benfica)

Gonçalo Ramos burst into the wider consciousness during the World Cup last year when he was picked ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal’s last 16 game against Switzerland and duly scored a hat-trick.

But followers of Portuguese club football will have been well aware of Ramos and his goalscoring exploits for a while now.

The 21-year-old has been bothering Liga NOS goalkeepers for a couple of years but this season his finishers’ instinct has gone to another level.

The Benfica striker has netted 25 in all competitions this term including three in his last three Champions League appearances.

The Lisbon outfit host Inter this week with their eyes firmly on upsetting the Italians and heading for the semi-finals.