Champions League Quarter Final Preview

Eight teams remain in Europe's premier club competition, and their number will soon be down to four. The UEFA Champions League is back, with the quarter-finals set for center stage.

This week, all eight teams will see action in the first leg of their final-eight ties, with two matches apiece scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday, German giants Bayern Munich will host Benfica, while Barcelona welcome Atletico Madrid to the Camp Nou in an all-Spanish encounter.

The following day, Real Madrid will play at Wolfsburg and Paris Saint-Germain will host Manchester City.

Here, we provide a guide to all four matches on the docket this week.

Bayern Munich vs. Benfica

When: Tuesday, 7:45 p.m. BST

Where: Allianz Arena, Munich

Bayern are the clear favorites on paper, though last season's quarter-final encounter with a different Portuguese side might make Bayern wary of an upset. The German heavyweights have reached the semi-final stage each of the past four seasons, lifting the trophy in 2013—and have beaten Benfica in all three previous European ties contested by the two clubs.

These two sides have met twice in the European Cup, with Bayern advancing at the Portuguese club's expense in 1975-76 and 1981-82. The Bavarians advanced to the final in both of those seasons, winning the title in 1976. In addition, Bayern knocked Benfica out of the UEFA Cup in 1995-96 before beating Bordeaux in the final.

Could this quarter-final turn into a similarly good omen for Pep Guardiola's men? After narrowly escaping against Juventus in the previous round, the five-time winners might not have their usual aura of invincibility. On the other hand, the tense second leg of that tie might have given Bayern a nudge in the right direction as they look to send the departing Guardiola into his next job in style.

Benfica, meanwhile, defeated Zenit St. Petersburg in the round of 16 to clinch a first appearance in the quarter-finals since 2011-12. The two-time winners have not advanced to the semifinals since 1990.

Last season, Bayern came up against Portuguese opposition in the quarter-finals, falling 3-1 at Porto before turning the tie around with a 6-1 victory in Bavaria. Ahead of this week's match, Guardiola has warned against complacency, pointing to last term's loss in Portugal.

"I’m really impressed by Benfica," he said, per Bundesliga.com. "They’re superbly organised, very compact and give you very little space between the lines."

Prediction: Bayern will have too much firepower for Benfica and won't be caught off guard, especially at home. Robert Lewandowski has scored 13 times in 14 games this calendar year, while Thomas Muller, Douglas Costa and Kingsley Coman are just a few more of the potent options at Guardiola's disposal. 

Bayern 3-1 Benfica.

Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid

When: Tuesday, 7:45 p.m. BST

Where: Camp Nou, Barcelona

A showcase for Spanish football, this tie matches the current top two in Spain in a tie that will determine which side reaches the semi-finals. Defending European champions Barcelona would appear to be the favorites, but Luis Enrique's men saw their 39-match unbeaten run evaporate this weekend in a defeat to arch-rivals Real Madrid.

Can Atletico mimic their cross-town neighbors and knock Barca out of Europe? Los Colchoneros have become a fixture in the latter stages of this competition, reaching the final in 2014 before advancing to the quarter-finals a year ago. During that run to the final in 2014, Atletico beat Barcelona at this same stage, winning 2-1 on aggregate.

However, Barcelona won both league meetings this season, each by a 2-1 scoreline. As per normal, the five-time winners will rely on the exceptional attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez, who have combined for 107 club goals this season in all competitions.

Atletico, on the other hand, will hope to contain that trio with a stout defensive unit that has conceded just 15 goals all season in La Liga. However, manager Diego Simeone has to deal with a selection crisis as center-backs Diego Godin, Stefan Savic and Jose Gimenez are all set to miss out.

Up front, Simeone has confirmed that Fernando Torres will start after scoring four times in his last seven league matches (h/t ESPN FC).

Prediction: Simeone has earned his reputation as a shrewd coach by constructing tough teams that are difficult to break down. Atletico will be stubborn as ever in this one, but the defensive crisis could prove damaging. The league games between these teams this season featured a familiar scoreline, and we see no reason that shouldn't continue here. Barcelona 2-1 Atletico.

Wolfsburg vs. Real Madrid

When: Wednesday, 7:45 p.m. BST

Where: Volkswagen Arena, Wolfsburg

Wolfsburg are perhaps, along with Benfica, the surprise package of the quarter-final round. But now the Germans will face their toughest test yet in the form of European blue bloods Real Madrid.

Real are fresh off a 2-1 victory over rivals Barcelona in El Clasico, a result that should give Los Blancos loads of momentum heading into the stretch run. But one factor working against them in this tie could be unfamiliarity, with these two clubs never having met in a competitive match.

In all other respects, however, history suggests this will be a mismatch. Wolfsburg will be making their debut in the quarter-finals of this competition, while Real will be making their 33rd appearance. Wolfsburg have never won a major European tournament, while Real have claimed the European Cup/Champions League a record 10 times.

Prediction: The victory over Barcelona suggests Zinedine Zidane is making progress with Real. After such an emotional encounter, this first leg could be a trap game. But the Spanish giants should be able to overwhelm Wolfsburg if Ronaldo and Co. play anywhere close to their best. Wolfsburg 1-2 Real Madrid.

Paris Saint-Germain vs. Manchester City

When: Wednesday, 7:45 p.m. BST

Where: Parc des Princes, Paris

Injuries have derailed Manchester City's league season, but Manuel Pellegrini's men enter this match with a relatively healthy squad and plenty of momentum following an easy 4-0 win at Bournemouth in the Premier League over the weekend.

Key players will still be missing from City's ranks, with midfielder Yaya Toure and influential defender Vincent Kompany set to miss out. However, Kevin De Bruyne returned to action against Bournemouth following a long lay-off and could feature again in Paris.

"This went well but if you miss nine weeks it’s not like you missed a few games," De Bruyne said following the Bournemouth win.

"But this [performance] was very important to show everybody that we still want to be there. If the team plays at its best then we always have a chance."

But Pellegrini cautioned that De Bruyne might not be able to play again so soon, telling Sky Sports that the player's fitness will be assessed before Wednesday.

For both sides, this tie represents a chance to show long-term progress. Both have benefited from massive investment in recent seasons, but neither have gone beyond this point in the Champions League.

This will be City's first Champions League quarter-final, having gone out of the competition in the round of 16 in each of the last two years. PSG have reached this stage for the fourth straight season and will be hoping to eliminate an English opponent for the second straight round.

PSG have already clinched the Ligue 1 title and appear to be slight favorites in this tie. But influential midfielder Marco Verratti has been injured since late February, and his absence could be an area for City to exploit.

Prediction: PSG have more experience at this stage of the Champions League, and in Zlatan Ibrahimovic, they have a player capable of turning any game at any time. But City have some momentum on their side, and with the Premier League title surely out of reach, they will be eager to extend their run in Europe. Expect a tightly contested match.

PSG 2-1 Manchester City.