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Breaking down Chelsea’s potential UCL quarterfinal opponents

By Travis Tyler

Paris Saint-Germain's Brazilian defender Thiago Silva arrives to the team hotel in Lisbon on August 11, 2020 on the eve of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final football match between Atalanta and Paris Saint-Germain. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
Paris Saint-Germain's Brazilian defender Thiago Silva arrives to the team hotel in Lisbon on August 11, 2020 on the eve of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final football match between Atalanta and Paris Saint-Germain. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Chelsea’s English midfielder Callum Hudson-Odoi (C) reacts after scoring their late goal during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Manchester City at Stamford Bridge in London on January 3, 2021. – Manchester City won the game 3-1. (Photo by Andy Rain / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by ANDY RAIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Chelsea’s English midfielder Callum Hudson-Odoi (C) reacts after scoring their late goal during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Manchester City at Stamford Bridge in London on January 3, 2021. – Manchester City won the game 3-1. (Photo by Andy Rain / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by ANDY RAIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /

Chelsea has advanced to the quarterfinals of the Champions League for the first time since Jose Mourinho was the manager with their win over Atletico. Of course, the years in between have either seen Chelsea A: outright not qualify for the Champions League or B: get drawn against one of the best teams in the competition in the round of 16. Either way, the Blues have got past the hurdle and, whisper it very quietly, look like they could keep going.

Restrictions on which team can be drawn against which have been lifted, meaning all seven teams other than Chelsea are up for grabs. They range in quality and Chelsea, in this form, shouldn’t be afraid, but what are the pros and cons of each matchup (in no particular order)?

1. Manchester City

Pros: Easily the biggest pro for drawing Manchester City is the familiarity. Chelsea knows Pep Guardiola’s City side well by now and Thomas Tuchel will be well familiar after their brief battles in Germany. The Blues simply do not look like conceding anytime soon and that is the type of style that can give City fits some days.

Perhaps even more importantly is how often City choke around this stage of Champions League. Guardiola was very much brought into their club to win the Champions League and he has failed to do so thus far. Largely, this has been a result of him tinkering too much at this stage of the competition to try to stay ahead of his opponent and seeing his experiments backfire.

Cons: City, like nearly every other year, goes into the latter stages of the competition as a favorite if not the favorite. Guardiola escaped early season troubles to pull far ahead in the Premier League, meaning he can throw most of his attention towards the Champions League.

And on that same note, this feels like a bit of a now or never moment for City’s current squad and Champions League in a lot of ways. It already feels like some have stayed longer than they have wanted to and that is in the pursuit of the big eared trophy. They will go all out for it and that is a dangerous prospect for whichever team draws them.

2. Liverpool

Pros: Since their run at Anfield ended, Liverpool has collapsed. They went from looking like runaway Premier League winners (again) to wondering if they will qualify for Europe without winning the Champions League. It simply seems like all of the fatigue, physically and mentally, of the last few seasons has finally been cashed in.

Speaking of fatigue, Liverpool’s back line is a patch work of out of position players covering for their numerous injuries. Further up the pitch, their once bombastic attack has struggled to find the back of the net most of the season. If ever there was a time to be okay with drawing Liverpool in the Champions League, it would be now.

Cons: All that being said, it is worth mentioning that the next round is after the break and the tiredness and injury factors may be minimized. More so, if any manager could be trusted to rally his men for a random cup run against the odds, it would probably be Jurgen Klopp. His cuddly German stepdad persona may be wearing thin but it still works.

And despite their quite terrible form in the Premier League, Liverpool quite comfortably got past RB Leipzig in the round of 16. Leipzig hasn’t been the same without Timo Werner but they are still one of Europe’s best teams and they gave Liverpool no problems at all. If that is any indication as to how Liverpool might approach the Champions League, it should be a concern for whoever they draw.

Not to mention Liverpool has fallen so far behind in Premier League that winning Champions League is virtually their only chance of being in the competition, or perhaps even Europe, next year. Liverpool may not be able to defend their Premier League crown, but they will certainly make a full steam ahead run for the Champions League in its place.

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