AC Milan, Inter Milan and Napoli (Italy), Chelsea and Manchester City (England), Bayern Munich (Germany) and Real Madrid (Spain) are Benfica’s possible rivals in the quarterfinals of the Champions League in football.
With the classification this Wednesday of ‘merengues’ and Neapolitans, on the last day of the round of the ‘eighths’, the ‘puzzle’ was complete, with the ‘incarnated’ knowing all the clubs that may be in their favor in the draw of Friday.
The big surprise of the 2022/23 edition of the ‘Champions’ is the presence of three Italian clubs in the ‘quarters’, something that has not happened for 18 years, since 2005/06, when AC Milan reached the semifinals, unlike Inter and Juventus.
On this occasion, the two clubs and Milan -Inter, the ‘executioner’ of FC Porto, who had not reached the ‘fourth quarters’ since 2010/11 and AC Milan since 2011/12– will be accompanied by the Napoli, who in his seventh presence, is for the first time in the ‘rooms’.
The Neapolitan team is having a sensational season, on the way to its third Serie A title (it has 18 points more than Inter, second), after those won with Diego Armando Maradona in 1986/87 and 1989/90, in between . they also won the 1988/89 UEFA Cup.
For its part, AC Milan has seven European titles, the last in 2006/07, and Inter Milan three, the last in 2009/10, under the command of the Portuguese José Mourinho.
Both Milanese clubs have already beaten Benfica in finals, AC Milan twice, in 1962/63 and 1989/90, and Inter once, in 1963/64, both inaugurated their record precisely at the expense of ‘incarnated’.
As for the two Englishmen, Chelsea, in which former Benfica player Enzo Fernández plays, has the same two titles as the ‘eagles’ (2011/12 and 2020/21), which they defeated in the final of the Europa League 2012/23 (2-1 in Amsterdam), while Manchester City, of the former ‘incarnated’ Ederson, Rúben Dias and Bernardo Silva, is looking ‘desperately’ for the former.
The ‘citizens’ were in the 2021 final, which they lost to the Londoners, at the Dragão (1-0), and now they have the Norwegian Erling Haaland, who has just scored five goals against Leipzig, for a total of 33 in the ‘Champions’ final, in 25 games.
Germany and Spain are, for their part, represented by their greatest exponents, respectively Bayern Munich, which has already won six ‘ears’, the last in La Luz, in 2020, and Real Madrid, holder of the trophy and indisputable ‘ king ‘ of the race, with his 14 trophies.
The ‘merengues’ have only lost three finals in their history, the first against Benfica, who in the 1961/62 season renewed the European title in Amsterdam, beating the ‘merengues’ 5-3, with goals from José Águas, Cavém, Columna and ‘encore’ by Eusébio, against Gento, Di Stéfano and Puskás, who scored a hat-trick.
The draw for the quarterfinals, as well as the semifinals, without any restrictions, is scheduled for Friday at 11:00 a.m. in Nyon, Switzerland.
Source: TSF
