UEFA Champions League preview: what to look out for tonight
Wednesday, March 17, 2021
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City and Madrid are through but who will complete the quarter-final line-up?
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Manchester City and Real Madrid have confirmed their places in Friday's UEFA Champions League quarter-final draw, but can Lazio and Atlético prevent Bayern and Chelsea from joining them?
See what's coming up tonight.
Round of 16 second legs
Tuesday 16 March
Manchester City 2-0 Mönchengladbach (agg: 4-0)
Real Madrid 3-1 Atalanta (agg: 4-1)
Wednesday 17 March
Bayern vs Lazio
Chelsea vs Atlético
Can Chelsea fend off Atlético?
Olivier Giroud's acrobatic finish in Bucharest separates the sides as they reconvene for the decider, but Thomas Tuchel will know that it is far from over, Atlético having won away to eliminate Liverpool at this stage last season. There was little to choose between the sides in the first leg and, once again, a moment of brilliance could change everything. "The second leg will be tough and hard, but that's the same with any Champions League game," said the ever-pragmatic Diego Simeone.
Will Bayern dip into their reserves?
Süddeutsche Zeitung felt that Bayern's 4-1 win in the first leg in Rome was "almost too easy", as a side beset by injuries and wobbly form in Germany effortlessly shifted up a gear in Europe. A Lazio comeback in such circumstances looks unlikely, but it will be interesting to see what approach the reigning European champions take; will they bring out all the big guns as they gird themselves up for their next challenge, or will we see more of the likes of Jamal Musiala, who scored – aged 17 – in the first leg?