Champions League Quarterfinal Power Rankings: Who Has the Best Shot to Win It?

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The bracket from here on out is balanced and rich with intrigue, but which power is most likely to lift the trophy in Paris?

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For once, the UEFA Champions League draw seemed to deliver a balanced quarterfinals that still has the potential for fireworks.

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After all, the two best remaining teams from the group stage who went undefeated (Liverpool and Bayern Munich) ended up with what most would call the easiest draw for the upcoming round.

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Yet they could both be caught looking ahead at the other in a mouthwatering semifinal that is sure to entertain.

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Meanwhile, both of last year’s finalists, Manchester City and Chelsea, face more difficult matchups with the giants of Madrid, who might both like their chances of advancing beyond their English foes after overcoming tough round-of-16 matchups.

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So how do the remaining eight clubs stack up? We’ve ranked the quarterfinal field, with an eye on which teams have the clearest path to lifting the trophy in Paris on May 28:

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While it’s difficult to determine which team has the clearest advantage from the Champions League quarterfinals on, what is certain is one part of the bracket has a more direct path than the other.

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Liverpool and Bayern appear destined for a titanic semifinal matchup after drawing Benfica and Villarreal, respectively. It’s not to say that the two underdogs can’t pull off something spectacular, it’s just that they drew the wrong teams against which to try to do so.

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Liverpool has won 16 of last 17 games in all competitions (the only loss came in the round of 16 second leg vs. Inter Milan), has kept 10 clean sheets in its last 13 and is pushing Man City for the Premier League title.

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Sandwiched between the two quarterfinal legs is a trip to City on Sunday, but a strong showing in Portugal on Tuesday would go a long way toward easing some pressure. And given Liverpool’s form of late and its depth, that should be the expectation.

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