A combination of bad luck, miracles and overthinking means Pep Guardiola has yet to win club football’s ultimate prize during his time at Manchester City.
You have broken citizens’ hearts time and time again in the Champions League. First it was the quarter-final game, then Thomas Tuchel oversaw a master plan in the 2021 final before the Real Madrid miracle workers made their latest comeback in last season’s semi-final.
They are poised to do it again in 2023 after beating RB Leipzig in the Round of 16. This is where the competition really gets tough, with most of the favorites still in the running.
Here’s an overview of who City could face in the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.
The group stage was once again a procession for City. The Citizens were one of only four teams to go undefeated as they progressed to the Round of 16 as group winners.
Guardiola conceded only twice as it beat Sevilla back and forth, as well as Borussia Dortmund and Copenhagen in the Union. The bottom two sides kept the Manchester side to a stalemate in the reverse fixtures, but City’s status as the biggest dog of the pack was never in doubt.
They faced German opposition again in the round of 16 where they were drawn against RB Leipzig. Marco Rose pinned the Citizens in Saxony as Josko Gvardiol canceled out Riyad Mahrez’s opener, but that tie was not level for long as City rioted at the Etihad to book their place in the quarter-finals.
Once again, City are the bookies’ favorite to go all the way in this season’s competition, but there are two teams they would like to avoid until the final.
While their domestic form has been patchy, Real Madrid are a different beast under the bright lights and City will not want a repeat of last season’s semi-final. Los Blancos advanced to the quarter-finals after beating Liverpool 5-2 at Anfield.
Chelsea’s familiarity with City would make Guardiola queasy should the two be combined, while Bayern Munich might be the most complete team in the tournament. Despite Napoli’s brilliance this season, the Citizens will be fantasizing about their chances against all the remaining Italian teams in the competition. The quarter-final clash between Napoli and City will be an epic match.
Below is a list of possible opponents for Manchester City in the quarter-finals:
