ISTANBUL
After a month of no UEFA Champions League showdowns, the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League got underway on Tuesday with Manchester City facing Bayern Munich and Benfica playing against Inter Milan.
Set to host this year’s final match, the Istanbul Olympic Stadium has been the backdrop for some of the most memorable matches in the world’s greatest club competition.
In the 2005 Champions League final between AC Milan vs. Liverpool, the Italian club took the lead within the first minute, followed by defender Paolo Maldini and forward Hernan Crespo netting twice before half-time to make the score 3-0.
During the second half, Liverpool scored three goals in six minutes to level the score at 3-3, the goals coming courtesy of Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer, and Xabi Alonso.
The score remained in gridlock through the extra time and a penalty shootout decided the winner.
Liverpool goalie Jerzy Dudek saved AC Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko’s shot, ending the penalties at 3-2 for the Reds.
This year, superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will be missing the Champions League quarterfinals for the third time since 2005.
Messi-led Paris Saint-Germain said goodbye to the league after suffering a 3-0 aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich.
Ronaldo, on the other hand, saw his Manchester United contract terminated by mutual agreement last year and is currently playing for Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr.
Ancelotti, Chelsea aim for 2nd final appearance in Istanbul
Coach Carlo Ancelotti already wrote his name in gold letters in football history as a player, having won the league title twice with AC Milan.
The 63-year-old Italian clinched the UEFA Champions League four times — 2003, 2007, 2014 and 2022.
The first two triumphs were with AC Milan and the next two with Real Madrid.
Ancelotti’s Real Madrid, who have set their sights on winning a record-extending 15th UCL title, will host Chelsea at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg.
This year, Chelsea fired two coaches in the same season for the first time, working with Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter.
The Blues appointed Frank Lampard as a caretaker manager on Thursday until the end of the 2022-23 season.
If one of the two teams reach the final, both Chelsea and Ancelotti will have the excitement of competing for the title for the second time in Istanbul.
Chelsea were in the 2019 Super Cup final, while Ancelotti’s AC Milan played the 2005 UCL final. But, both sides lost against Liverpool.
Guardiola misses trophies in European tournaments
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City look to add a long-overdue Champions League trophy to their collection.
The 52-year-old’s last UCL title came in 2011, when he led Barcelona to victory against Manchester United.
Since Guardiola took charge of Manchester City in 2016, the Blue Skies bagged domestic titles but no European cups.
City will host Bayern Munich at their stadium in Manchester on Tuesday.
Bayern is currently one of the best clubs in Europe. Though they won their last UCL title in 2020, they have been seen as favorites for a while now.
The Bavarians won six UCL trophies so far and want to qualify for the next stage under Tuchel who they newly signed after the German’s departure from Chelsea.
Tuchel, 49, led the British club to win the 2021 Champions League title after a narrow win over Manchester City.
Two-time winner Benfica will face thrice-champion Inter Milan, while Napoli will take on AC Milan, now vying for their eighth championship.
Real Madrid won the competition a record 14 times, double second-placed AC Milan.
They are followed by Bayern Munich with six, Inter Milan with three, and Benfica and Chelsea with two titles each.
