A combination of bad luck, miracles and overthinking means Pep Guardiola has yet to claim club football’s ultimate prize during his time at Manchester City.
The Citizens have had their hearts broken time and again in the Champions League. First it was quarter-final hoodoo, then Thomas Tuchel saw a masterplan in the 2021 final, before Real Madrid’s miracle workers pulled off the latest comeback in last season’s semi-final.
After knocking out RB Leipzig in the Round of 16 they look set to do so again in 2023. This is where the competition really heats up, with most of the favorites still left in the competition.
Here’s a look at who City could face in the quarter-finals of the 2022/23 Champions League.
The group stage was once again a procession for the city. The Citizens were one of only four teams to remain unbeaten as they advanced to the round of 16 as group winners.
Guardiola’s side have won just twice, beating Sevilla home and away, as well as Borussia Dortmund and Copenhagen at the Etihad. The latter two sides held the Manchester club to a stalemate in the reverse fixtures, but City’s status as top dog of the group was never in doubt.
They again faced German opposition in the round of 16 as they were drawn against RB Leipzig. Marco Rose’s side held the Nationals back in Saxony as Josco Guardiol canceled out Riyad Mahrez’s opener, but the tie was not equal for long as City stormed into the Etihad to book their place in the quarter-finals did.
City are once again the bookmakers’ favorites in this season’s competition, but there are a few teams they will want to avoid until the final.
While their domestic form has been poor, Real Madrid are a different beast under the bright lights and City will not be looking for a repeat of last season’s semi-final tie. Los Blancos are almost through to the quarters after beating Liverpool 5-2 at Anfield.
Chelsea’s familiarity with the city will make Guardiola uncomfortable if they must be linked together, while Bayern Munich could be the most complete team in the tournament. Despite Napoli’s impressive performance this season, the Citizens will fancy their chances against all the remaining Italian teams in the competition. A quarter-final tie between Napoli and City would be epic.
Here is a list of possible opponents for Manchester City in the quarter-finals: