The Champions League is back! Here’s what all the teams look like ahead of the 1/8 finals

The Champions League is back! 62 days after the end of the group stage, play returns in a tense round of 16. Four La Liga representatives (Real Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad.) will intersect with RB Leipzig, Naples, Inter and PSG.

Spain have a majority in the first of three qualifiers for the Wembley final on June 1. Of the 16 survivors who will fight for Orejona in London this spring, a quarter are from La Liga. The rest is completed by three Italian Serie A clubs (Inter, Lazio and Naples.), three from the German Bundesliga (Bayern, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig), two from the English Premier (Manchester City and Arsenal), one from the French League 1 (PSG), one from the Portuguese Premier League (Port), one of the Dutch Eredivisie (PSV) and another from the Danish Super League (Copenhagen).

Everyone wants to clear the way for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in their quest for the Champions League. A problem that starts with eight electrical junctions. But how do teams reach the 1/8 finals? How have they changed since the winter fair?

We analyze this in MARCA.

Injuries in defense and goal did not stop Real from leading La Liga and dreaming of the Champions League. Vinicius, Rodrygo, Kroos, Brahim… These are sufficient arguments to start as favorites against an irregular RB Leipzig who have many dangers ahead. TO Bellinghamthe wounded man is expected to return.

Dani Olmo (recovered) and Javi Simons are the ideal pitchers for the Cesco-Openda pairing to do damage. They complement each other well and score goals. Careful.

Copenhagen was the great opening of the champions’ group stage.. The Danes reached the 1/8 finals, eliminating United… but received another “coconut” from Manchester.

Guardiola’s City wants to emulate Orejona. This is an almost perfect car that has regained two stars. De Bruyne and Haaland. They also have Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Foden… They are scary.

Real Sociedad had a great group stage performance. Imanol’s team reached the 1/8 finals first, ahead of Inter, and in the 1/8 finals they met one of the giants of the tournament.

PSG Mbappe, Dembele, Asensio, Achraf… a very inconvenient opponent. Luis Enrique has a great team that you don’t always fall in love with. La Real with Kubo, Zubimendi, Brace, Oyarzabel… can push them to the limit.

Tuchel’s Bayern are not as “perfect” as other previous Bayern teams (they are five behind the leaders after the defeat to Bayer Leverkusen), but they are an overseas team that can beat anyone. Kane scores a goal and the rest of the team dances to his tune..

The injury of Coman, replaced by Brian Zaragoza, strengthens a team with a lot of losses in all lines, in which Kimmich, Upamecano, Gnabry will recover… They will meet a quality Lazio (Immobile, Luis Alberto, Pedro…), but which is far from the Bavarian level.

PSV easily leads the Eredivisie, but is already “deadly”. Woerman leads a team that wants to surprise Dortmund in the round of 16.

Having lost Haaland and Bellingham over the past two years, Borussen remains among the Champions League elite. Sancho’s return gives them wings. BVB wants the quarterfinals.

The top qualifier. Inter, second in Europe and the great dominant of Calcio, will face the solid and always competitive Atlético.

The stars fall in mourning. Lautaro Martinez, Griezmann, Morata, Barella… Inzaghi and Simeone have two strong and high-quality teams. Two wonderful games await us.

Porto always competes. The Dragons return to the round of 16 with classics like Taremi, Pepe… And on the other side of the ring awaits them Arsenal, who, upon returning to the Champions League more than five years later, want to aim for Orejona.

Arteta’s men are in contention for the Premier League, but they also want to be strong in Europe.

With Odegaard, Saka… anything is possible.

Neither Naples nor Barcelona are at the best level.. Mazzarri’s team didn’t qualify for the Serie A Champions League, but they have stars like Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia… who can hurt anyone.

Xavi’s team has the Champions League as their main goal. Ter Stegen’s return gives them more strength. Lewandowski, Yamal, Pedri, De Jong… they are doing their best in Europe.