What to expect in UEFA Champions League quarterfinals

UEFA held its Champions League draw Friday, setting up the final stages of what has already been a surprising and engrossing tournament. After a wild week of knockout games, here are the matchups for the quarterfinals:

Real Madrid vs. Chelsea: Real, while inconsistent in La Liga, is imperious in the Champions League—its 43-minute dismantling of Liverpool in the first leg of its Round of 16 tie was swift and total. The defending champions will welcome the chance to dispatch shaky Chelsea in similar style, but don't count the Blues out just yet. 

With nothing left to play for in the Premier League, Chelsea's season is entirely focused on Champions League success. New signings Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk are just starting to find their rhythm. If Madrid gets complacent, it could face an embarrassing early exit at the hands of this cresting Chelsea lineup.

Manchester City vs. Bayern Munich: This is the heavy-hitter clash the neutrals and TV programmers were hoping for. City has the headlines and the momentum after its 7-0 demolition of RB Leipzig, and it will feel capable of taking on anyone. 

But while City made the quarterfinals with drama and fanfare, Bayern made them with ease. It swatted aside Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé's PSG with balance and precision, and its cool heads under pressure should make the team favorites by a hair. Keep an eye on Leroy Sane and Joao Cancelo, the two Bayern stars left Guardiola's City under dramatic circumstances and will be hungry for revenge against their former club.

Inter Milan vs. Benfica: Inter is well worth the price of admission, largely because of the sheer chaos it brings to the Champions League. The nerazzurri got hammered by Bayern Munich in the group stages, but turned it around to destroy—and eliminate—an equally talented Barcelona in the next few games. It has one of the most in-form goalkeepers on the planet in Andre Onana and one of the most underrated midfielders in Marcelo Brozovic, but its forward line simply can't be counted on. 

Benfica, conversely, is quietly having one of Europe's more stellar seasons. It is first in Portugal's Primeira Liga and flush with cash from the sale of Enzo Martinez. The global media is sleeping on Benfica, but it is a tight, determined and dependable side. Benfica was utterly unbothered by Club Brugge in the Round of 16 and is a clear favorite to breeze past inconsistent Inter to the semifinals. 

AC Milan vs. Napoli: It's a joy to have three Italian teams in the quarterfinals—it has been many years since Serie A has had that sort of representation in the late stages of the Champions League. Milan pushed past an insipid Tottenham Hotspur to clinch its spot in the quarters, and while it deserved its victory, Milan is probably the poorest team left in the competition. 

Napoli doesn't need luck—frankly, we're the lucky ones, because we get to see it shine. Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are the headliners, but every Napoli player is performing at a high level. Napoli is Europe's best team by far and should dominate this all-Italian matchup.