Champions League Quarter-Finals Roundup

The 2022/23 Champions League Quarter-Finals have come to a close. In perhaps the most definitive stage of this year’s competition, Manchester City, AC Milan, Real Madrid, and Inter Milan advanced over Bayern Munich, Napoli, Chelsea, and Benfica, respectively. City will face Madrid in the Semi-Finals, while AC will face Inter in a Derby Della Madonnia with a place in the Champions League final on the line. The final, which will take place in Istanbul on June 10, will be the first since 2017 to feature an Italian side, and the first since 2010 to feature a Milan club. Here’s a deep dive into each of the last-eight’s ties.

Manchester City vs. Bayern Munich (4-1 Agg.)

Manchester City cruised past Bayern Munich, thanks to a 3-0 first-leg victory in Manchester. The Sky Blues will play in their third consecutive Champions League semi-final, with Bayern Munich being eliminated in the quarters for the third straight season. The tie was characterized by poor play by Bayern center-back Dayot Upamecano, who was at fault for multiple goals between the two games. Rodri, Bernardo Silva, and Erling Haaland scored in the first leg, with Haaland and Bayern’s Joshua Kimmich scoring in a 1-1 return tie in Munich. City march onto the semi-finals, with a possible treble still on the line and an upcoming fixture against fellow title-challengers Arsenal in the coming days for the Premier League.

AC Milan vs. Napoli (2-1 Agg.)

AC Milan defeated Napoli in an all-Italian quarter-final tie. Milan, who had been on a poor run of form domestically, defeated Napoli 4-0 at the Estadio Diego Maradona in Serie A play on April 2. The first leg at the San Siro saw a narrow 1-0 Milan win, while a hotly contested second leg that featured missed penalties from both sides saw Milan survive a late barrage of Napoli chances and advance with a 1-1 result. Rafael Leao provided the signature moment of the tie, with a long solo run setting up Milan’s goal in the second leg. AC advance to their first semi-final since they won the competition in 2007, while Napoli’s superb season came to a disappointing end in Europe.

Real Madrid vs. Chelsea (4-0 Agg.)

In a rematch between both last season’s quarterfinal and the semi-final of the previous year, Real Madrid cruised to their 11th Champions League semi-final in 13 seasons. Chelsea, who had sacked Graham Potter and reappointed club-legend Frank Lampard in an interim role, were comfortably beaten at the Bernabeu with goals from Benzema and Asensio. The second leg at Stamford Bridge saw Thibaut Courtois save numerous Chelsea attempts in the first half, with Rodrygo providing both Madrid goals in the second ‘45. Madrid will face City in the semis, with the first leg on May 9 at the Bernabeu. As for Chelsea, this ends what has been a truly disastrous campaign. Despite spending over 300 million pounds since the start of last summer, the club currently sit eleventh in the Premier League and will be appointing yet another manager this summer, with reports suggesting it will likely be former Tottenham Manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Inter vs. Benfica (5-3 Agg.)

Inter took care of business in the first leg, winning 2-0 in Lisbon thanks to goals from Nicolo Barella and Romelu Lukaku. The return leg saw plenty of action, with an inspired Benfica side drawing level with two late goals from Antonio Silva and Peter Musa salvaging a 3-3 draw, though Inter advanced comfortably on aggregate. Like Napoli, Benfica’s European adventure perhaps ended prematurely, with the Portuguese side boasting an exciting young team that topped PSG in the group stages (though they did so with the help of World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez, who was sold to Chelsea for a Premier League record 130 million pounds in January). Inter will face their intercity rivals in an unlikely Derby della Madonnia Champions League semi-final, a fixture made all the more remarkable considering neither side currently sit in the top four of Serie A.

Semi-Finals: Real Madrid vs. Manchester City (May 9, May 17), AC Milan vs. Inter (May 10, May 16)

Final: June 10, Istanbul