Champions League: What to expect in the quarterfinals second leg

• The UEFA Champions League quarter-finals will be decided this week as the teams battle it out in the second leg.
• We discuss what to expect as we head into this week’s quarterfinal action.

The UEFA Champions League quarter-finals will be decided this week as the teams battle it out in the second leg.

Although Chelsea has a lot of work to do to advance when Real Madrid arrive at Stamford Bridge, Manchester City is in a commanding position before their rematch with Bayern Munich.

We discuss what to expect as we head into this week’s quarterfinal action.

Victor Osimeh returns

Victor Osimhen of Napoli returns. Photo/goal.com

Since the beginning of the season, Napoli have played flawlessly, turning into one of Europe’s finest team under Luciano Spalletti. However, with a goalless draw against Verona at home extending their recent record to one in four games in all competitions, the runaway Serie A leaders now appear to be slipping.

In the three games that Napoli has lost, they have failed to score, and at the weekend, they only mustered one shot on goal. Victor Osimhen, the team’s top scorer, had been absent in recent games, but the Nigerian made his comeback from a groin injury against Verona.

As Napoli attempts to reverse a 1-0 lead against AC Milan at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, the 24-year-old is anticipated to be deemed fit to return this week. Recent games have been without Osimhen, who can occupy backlines by himself thanks to his combination of speed, power, and instinctive finishing.

Napoli have appeared less threatening without their talisman, whose return will give Gli Azzurri another option in the final third. If Napoli can defeat the Milan teams in back-to-back matches, it will have a legitimate chance to advance to the Champions League final against Inter Milan, who are heavy favourites to win the semifinal match.

Chelsea’s uphill battle

Chelsea faces an uphill battle against Real Madrid. Photo/ We Ain’t Got No History.

The initial optimism around Frank Lampard’s return to Chelsea has not materialized, as the temporary manager has lost three straight games across all competitions since taking over.

Prior to Real Madrid’s visit to Stamford Bridge this week, Chelsea’s weekend Premier League loss at home to Brighton will not have given the team much hope. Conor Gallagher’s deflected goal put a stop to the Blues’ four-game goalless streak, but Lampard’s team struggled for much of the game as Brighton controlled play.

Lampard’s task of leading Chelsea into the semifinals appears to be overwhelming with a two-goal deficit from the first leg in the Spanish capital. After losing at the Bernabeu, the club’s all-time leading scorer expressed confidence, saying “Special things can happen at Stamford Bridge” as Chelsea attempted to salvage the game. It will require one of the club’s best European evenings to advance on present form.

Bayern’s manager change not bearing any fruits

Thomas Tuchel. Photo/ beIN SPORTS.

Last month, Bayern Munich announced that Julian Nagelsmann would be leaving the club. The decision seemed harsh given that the German powerhouse were still in the running for three titles. Thomas Tuchel, who was appointed as his replacement right away, appeared to be a perfect choice, but the Champions League-winning coach has not yet had the intended effect in Munich.

The Bundesliga champions are on the verge of being eliminated from the Champions League after being hammered at Manchester City in their quarterfinal first leg, while Bayern was eliminated from the DFB-Pokal after losing to Freiburg at home earlier this month.

While Bayern’s attacking options failed to make a big impact in the final third, their backline was uneasy and exposed to the City push. Nagelsmann would have performed better, but it may be playing devil’s advocate to say that. Nevertheless, there is little doubt that the switch to Tuchel has not had the desired effect.

In the history of the Champions League, very few teams have ever overcome a 3-0 first-leg deficit to advance.

Can Benfica make history?

Can Benfica make history? |PHOTO: Getty Images|

To make it to the first European Cup semi-final since 1990, Benfica must overcome historical odds.

Last week’s loss to Inter Milan was painful for the Portuguese league leaders. Inter Milan’s defence was outstanding. Benfica had a strong season overall, topping a group that included PSG and Juventus before defeating Club Brugge to go to the semifinals. This was a rare weak performance in their otherwise impressive campaign.

Benfica’s ability to compete on the road in Europe was shown earlier in the competition with victories at Juventus and draws at PSG, but it will take an outstanding effort to keep Inter from making their first semi-final appearance since 2009–2010.