The Champions League quarterfinals are set as the final four teams standing are Arsenal, Inter, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. This may not have been how things would’ve been drawn up following the end of the league phase where PSG finished 15th, but outside of them, the top teams from that phase are the last teams standing. One of two teams who have never won a Champions League title in PSG and Arsenal will be guaranteed a place in the final, while two sides looking to reclaim their glory in Barcelona and Inter will square off.
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But with the teams remaining, now it’s time to rank the final contenders for the UCL crown. Can Arsenal stack up against the firepower of a team like Barcelona or PSG, and is this Inter side better than the one that faced Manchester City in the UCL final two seasons ago?
4. Inter
This is almost a 3a and 3b situation between Arsenal and Inter because they’re quite hard to split. Lautaro Martinez has used this Champions League campaign as a coming-out party, scoring eight goals and contributing more as Inter have gotten deeper into the competition. Inter have also kept a competition-high eight clean sheets as Simone Inzaghi’s rotating cast of players has been well drilled to do their jobs if it’s a defensive matchup or a shootout. The issue is that after Martinez and Marcus Thuram, it’s tough to tell if Inter can win against a team that can go all out in attack.
Defeating Bayern Munich is a strong showing, but that’s a team still trying to find their way back to the top of Europe and is realistically searching to get to where Inter currently is. They’ll get a chance to prove that they can handle that in facing Barcelona, but getting past Hansi Flick’s men will be quite a challenge.
3. Arsenal
Real Madrid have been out of sorts, but being able to neutralize their entire attack is something special. Even more so when playing a third-choice center back in Jakub Kiwior and an 18-year-old at left back in Myles Lewis-Skelly. “If you’re good enough, you’re old enough” is something that Matt Busby has said in the past and it holds true for the Arsenal defender as they were able to force Real Madrid to take shots from poor areas while limiting dangerous chances. Even a missed penalty from Bukayo Saka was unable to stop the Gunners.
As long as Saka and Martin Odegaard are healthy, Arsenal can win this tournament, but facing a more balanced side than Real Madrid, Mikel Arteta will need to ensure that his side isn’t overun.
2. PSG
The most dangerous team in world soccer since the turn of the new year, there isn’t much that Luis Enrique’s team can’t do. Ousman Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s interchanges are magical, and when PSG flow forward, there isn’t much anyone can do to stop them except hope that they’ll sail a chance high and wide. Even their fullbacks, Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi, are getting in on the fun while the midfield stays incredibly balanced.
The biggest drawback for PSG is that they don’t play with a true number nine, and being a side that doesn’t sit back ever, they’re just as likely to win a game 5-0 as they are to fall 6-4. There aren’t many teams in the world who can keep up with their attacking output over two legs, but that’s where facing Arsenal could become a war of attrition.
1. Barcelona
Like separating Inter and Arsenal, it feels like a 1a and 1b situation with these teams, but that’s the difference that Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha can make. Barcelona and PSG are similar sides where they’ll attack until the job is done, have excellent young players who are contributing to the fold like Lamine Yamal and can end a match in any given way. It’d be a dream UCL final to see them meet, but there is also plenty of work if that is to happen.
A striker like Martinez can take advantage of Barcelona’s offside trap, giving Flick’s defense quite a few things to think about, but how Inter defends will be critical. It has to be a team effort to stop Barcelona’s attack because even if the top three attackers are contained, then Pedri may come running up from midfield. It feels like Barcelona have an answer to every question, which is why they edge PSG.