Previa de la Ida de los Cuartos de Final de la Champions League

The Champions League quarterfinal is kicking off with four great matchups, with the spotlight on the games starting in London and Munich.

In the English capital, Arsenal will host Real Madrid, while in Germany, Bayern will take on Inter—four teams currently in the title race in their respective leagues.

On the other hand, La Liga leaders Barcelona will host a struggling Borussia Dortmund, who are coming off a poor run in the Bundesliga, while freshly crowned Ligue 1 champions PSG will welcome Aston Villa to Paris.

Champions League Quarterfinal: Arsenal vs. Real Madrid

Arsenal is far from the top of the Premier League and suffered a setback this weekend with a draw against Everton, so their hopes are now firmly set on the Champions League. The good news is that Bukayo Saka has recovered, already played a few minutes, and scored a goal. However, they’re missing key players such as Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, and Gabriel Magalhães.

Their opponent, Real Madrid, is also second in their league, and this past weekend wasn’t ideal for them either—as they lost 2-1 at home to Valencia, falling further behind Barcelona. They struggled in the previous knockout round, advancing on penalties against Atlético Madrid, although we all know that the ‘Merengues’ are a tough team to beat in this competition. Both starting goalkeepers and Ferland Mendy are doubtful, while Éder Militão and Dani Carvajal are injured, and Aurélien Tchouaméni is suspended.

Arsenal vs. Real Madrid Betting Pick: Arsenal

Champions League Quarterfinal: Bayern vs. Inter

Bayern München is close to reclaiming its throne in Germany, but the team is not at its best. They have two consecutive wins and had no trouble crushing Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16 with a 5-0 aggregate score. One major challenge for coach Vincent Kompany is the injury list—practically a hospital—with Manuel Neuer, Jamal Musiala, Alphonso Davies, Dayot Upamecano, Kingsley Coman, and Hiroki Ito all out, plus a few others in doubt.

Inter is also leading the table in Italy, though the race for the Serie A title is much tighter. They’re coming off a 2-2 draw with Parma after being up 0-2, marking their second consecutive draw following a 1-1 result against Milan in the Coppa Italia semifinals. Without a doubt, the injury to Denzel Dumfries is a big blow for the Italians, but they still boast a lethal attacking duo in Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martínez.

Bayern vs. Inter Betting Pick: Draw

Champions League Quarterfinal: Barcelona vs. Dortmund

Barcelona is chasing the treble and having a great season under Hansi Flick. Despite constant injuries, they’ve built a strong team—not particularly solid in defense, but with an explosive attack led by Lamine Yamal and Raphinha. They come off a 1-1 draw with Betis and are currently on a 22-match unbeaten run, winning 18 of those. These teams already faced each other in the group stage, with the Spaniards winning 3-2 away.

Dortmund’s domestic season has been embarrassing in Germany, although they’ve improved this year and are now closing in on European competition spots. However, they’ve done well in the Champions League, reaching this stage after eliminating Sporting and Lille. They have two consecutive wins in the Bundesliga but will be without one of their key players, Marcel Sabitzer.

Barcelona vs. Dortmund Betting Pick: Barcelona

Champions League Quarterfinal: PSG vs. Aston Villa

PSG arrives more than motivated. They were crowned Ligue 1 champions this weekend with six matches to spare, are in the Coupe de France final, and pulled off what no one thought they could: eliminating Liverpool after beating them in England. Luis Enrique’s team, no longer packed with big-name stars, is strong, and the arrival of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has given them a big boost.

The surprising Aston Villa, led by Unai Emery, have made it to the Champions League cuartos de final. They had an easy path against Club Brugge in the previous round and come into this tie in their best form of the season, with seven straight wins. Ross Barkley and Leon Bailey are doubtful, but both are expected to be part of the squad. As visitors in this tournament edition, they’ve recorded two wins and two losses.

PSG vs. Aston Villa Betting Pick: PSG