When your team’s in the last eight of the UEFA Champions League, that’s when you really start to dream. The final is a matter of weeks away, and anything can happen at this point. There are four games between you and it – and with two-legged ties, you don’t even have to win them all!

Well, that time of the year has arrived, and the men’s Champions League quarter-finalists – three teams from England and Spain, and one from each of Germany and Portugal – will already be imagining walking out in Paris on 28 May, with the anthem soaring, and picturing themselves raising that giant trophy.

And remember, you can follow all the UEFA Champions League action live on BT Sports wherever you are in the UK, as long as there’s WiFi, 3G or 4G, thanks to Virgin TV Go. Simply download the free Virgin TV Go app, which is free to all Virgin TV customers and is compatible with Android, iOS, Windows 10 and PC/Mac.

So which team’s going to do it? We’ve run our eye over the contenders, weighed up their chances and come up with the definitive Champions League 2021/22 power ranking – read on and see if you agree. 

8. Benfica

Normally we’d say it’s not possible to fluke your way into the actual last eight of the actual Champions League, but Benfica seem determined to prove that wrong. They sneaked through the group despite getting double-tonked by Bayern (4-0 and 5-2) and finishing with a negative goal difference. Then in the last 16, they were dominated home and away by Ajax but managed a frankly astonishing 3-2 aggregate victory despite being second best in almost every department.

Surely their luck will run out in the quarter-finals… and yet, in Darwin Nuñez they have one of Europe’s most coveted strikers. With him around, anything’s possible. At the very least he can add a few more millions to his price when he inevitably moves on from the Portuguese league.

7. Villarreal

We are not going to make the mistake of underestimating Villarreal. Italian giants Juventus did that in the previous round and ended up with a 3-0 thumping at home. Man Utd found out about their skill and grit the hard way in last year’s Europa League final. And while it didn’t work out for boss Unai Emery at Arsenal, he’s an experienced and successful European campaigner with four Europa League winner’s medals. 

However, the final rounds of the Champions League are unfamiliar territory for this team – the club haven’t been here since 2009 – and they’re facing seriously tough quarter-final opponents in Bayern. Spain international Pau Torres leads an impressive defence, and former Bournemouth forward Arnaut Danjuma is a player transformed this season. But the semi-final seems a step too far for the Yellow Submarine.

6. Real Madrid

Controversial?! The Spanish league leaders do have some of the world’s best players, including France centre-forward Karim Benzema and evergreen midfielder Luka Modric. But they were outplayed in the round of 16 by a dysfunctional PSG team (until the Parisians crumbled with half an hour to go) and were also thrashed 4-0 at home by Barcelona a couple of weeks ago.  

Of course head coach Carlo Ancelotti has three Champions Leagues to his name, but is he still the same manager who won it with Real in 2014? Raise your eyebrows if you will, but his ill-fated stint at Everton was nothing to shout about. And Real’s opponents in the quarters are defending champions Chelsea, who saw them off convincingly in last year’s semi.

5. Atlético Madrid

It might seem bonkers to put Atlético ahead of their city rivals here when they’re lagging well behind in La Liga – but hear us out. In a knockout tie, Diego Simeone’s team don’t care about reputation or status, and they will stop at nothing to beat you, as Man Utd fans know all too well.

It’s not fair to characterise Atléti as a bunch of bruisers and spoilers – not entirely fair – and they do have the quality of Antoine Griezmann and £113m man João Félix up front. They’ll be thinking: we’ve knocked out one bunch of highly paid superstars from Manchester, why not another? Well, for one thing, City are a very different prospect from United. But the Spaniards definitely have a decent chance of progressing, especially if they can get a lead to defend.

4. Chelsea

“One regular day of Barclays. That’s all I ask for. Will never happen.” Antonio Conte did not actually say this in a post-match interview when he was manager of Chelsea, in reference to the supposed madness of the Premier League, but the meme-verse didn’t care. As far as internet wags are concerned, it’s gospel. Five years on, Chelsea fans must really be longing for “one regular day of Barclays”, with the club’s future uncertain.

On the field, though, they’re still having an excellent season. Despite injury and form problems, the Blues are in the Premier League’s top three, Carabao Cup runners-up, and quarter-finalists in Europe’s top competition. Much of this is down to head coach Thomas Tuchel, who is cutting an increasingly impressive figure after surviving a chaotic stint at PSG and then being plunged into a different kind of chaos in west London. With the likes of Toni Rüdiger, Kai Havertz and the irrepressible N’Golo Kanté in the side, they can see off Real.

3. Bayern Munich

The balance of European club football power ebbs and flows. Sometimes the English teams dominate, sometimes Spanish teams, sometimes Italian, sometimes there’s a surprise name in the semis or even the final. But Bayern always seem to be there. Since 2009, there have been only three seasons when they didn’t make the semis, and they’ve reached four finals and claimed two titles in that time. They’ve won the Bundesliga 10 times over that period too. Bayern just know how to win.

In centre-forward Robert Lewandowski, of course, the Bavarian club have a genuine star of world football – but he’s backed up by a veritable phalanx of unsung heroes, from Joshua Kimmich and Serge Gnabry to the perennially underrated Thomas Müller, still finding passes and angles that mere mortals simply can’t. There are defensive flaws that have seen them lose at home to Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Mönchengladbach this season. But they will surely have too much for Villarreal.

2. Manchester City

Manchester City have got the talent and the gameplan to beat any team in the world and secure the Champions League trophy. That much is certain. But… will they? In January we’d have said yes. But since then, it’s been a home defeat to Spurs here, a draw with Crystal Palace there. Like Superman, City are incredibly powerful, but not invulnerable.

And the Champions League has proved to be Pep Guardiola’s kryptonite at City. They were runners-up last year, but that was the first time he’d taken them past the quarter-finals, having been guilty of over-complicating his tactics and coming unstuck in knockout games. And Atlético are a team who’ll relish stopping the likes of Kevin de Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez from playing their free-flowing game. We wouldn’t be surprised if City ended up champions. But we also wouldn’t be shocked if they didn’t make the semis.

1. Liverpool

It’s extremely tight between Man City and Liverpool – as a glance at the Premier League table will tell you – but the Reds look like they’re firing just a tiny bit more effectively. Their dynamic front three of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané and Diogo Jota have scored more than 60 goals between them this term (and they’ve increased their firepower with the signing of Luis Díaz), while the imperious Virgil van Dijk is still the most impressive defender in the English game.

There are doubts. The injury to Trent Alexander-Arnold robs the side of some creativity, and the last-16 second-leg defeat to a depleted Inter exposed some flaws. The effort of catching City in the Premier League might have an impact on their European campaign. But unlike Guardiola, Jürgen Klopp has the experience of taking his current club to Champions League glory. And we make Liverpool very slight favourites right now.

UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final First-Leg Ties

Manchester City v Atlético Madrid

Tuesday 5 April, 7pm, BT Sport 2 HD (CH 528)

Benfica v Liverpool

Tuesday 5 April, 7.15pm, BT Sport 3 HD (CH 529)

Chelsea v Real Madrid

Wednesday 6 April, 7pm, BT Sport 2 HD (CH 528)

Villarreal v Bayern Munich

Wednesday 6 April, 7.15pm, BT Sport 3 HD (CH 529)

Is there more European football on BT Sport this week?

Yes! See the listings below.

UEFA Europa League Quarter-Final 1st Leg: West Ham v Lyon

Thursday 7 April, 7.15pm, BT Sport 1 HD (CH 527)

UEFA Europa League Quarter-Final 1st Leg: Braga v Rangers

Thursday 7 April, 7.15pm, BT Sport 2 HD (CH 528)

UEFA Europa Conference League Quarter-Final 1st Leg: Leicester City v PSV Eindhoven

Thursday 7 April, 7.15pm, BT Sport 3 HD (CH 529)

When are the Champions League quarter-final second legs?

Here are the dates for your diary.

Real Madrid v Chelsea

Tuesday 12 April, 7pm, BT Sport 2 HD (CH 528)

Bayern Munich v Villarreal

Tuesday 12 April, 7.15pm, BT Sport 3 HD (CH 529)

Atlético Madrid v Manchester City

Wednesday 13 April, 7pm, BT Sport 2 HD (CH 528)

Liverpool v Benfica

Wednesday 13 April, 7pm, BT Sport 3 HD (CH 529)

When are the semi-finals and final?

Manchester City or Atlético Madrid will host Chelsea or Real Madrid in the first leg of the first semi-final. Liverpool or Benfica will be at home to Bayern or Villarreal in their first leg.

The semi-final first legs will be played on Tuesday 26 and Wednesday 27 April, with the second legs on Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 May.

The UEFA Champions League final at the Stade de France in Paris will be on Saturday 28 May at 6pm on BT Sport 2 HD (CH 528).

Don’t have BT Sport?

You can upgrade to our Virgin TV Maxit package online via your My Virgin Media account here and get all 4 BT Sport channels in HD. If you’ve not registered for My Virgin Media or have forgotten your sign in details just head over to myvirginmedia.com.

Not heard about Virgin TV Go?

Don’t let anything get in between you and your essential viewing with Virgin TV Go. With loads of sport and Box Sets to try out, you’ll always be entertained wherever you are!

The app is available to all Virgin TV customers at no extra cost and is compatible with Android, iOS, Windows 10 and PC/Mac. Get downloading (from the links below) and you’ll be one step closer to watching what you want, when you want. 

Download the Virgin TV Go app from the Apple app store

Download the Virgin TV Go app from Google Play

Download the Virgin TV Go app for Windows 10