Champions League: Power ranking the 8 quarter-final teams
1. Barcelona
Was there really any doubt? This might well be the best club side in history with the best front three to ever grace the planet. It is only fitting that they are ranked number one heading into the last eight of the Champions League.
After Arsenal’s loss in the last round, Arsene Wenger spoke of the wondrous talents of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar. The three that have dominated world soccer over the past 18 months ran Arsenal ragged, and Wenger was endearing of their quality, likening their football to an art work.
Defensively Barcelona are not the best. However, when they keep the ball for 70% of the game and can score goals at any moment, they simply don’t need to be. The sharp passing of Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic has caused plenty of problems for even the best of sides, and their ability to keep the ball allows them to limit the number of chances the opposition creates.
Moreover, when a team dominates possession, the opposition tend to sit deeper and deeper limiting the space for attackers to work in. Against most teams, this tactic would suffocate opposing attacking players, but Suarez, Messi and Neymar are so precise with their touch and passing, that even the tightest of spaces can be utilized.
This team is quite simply unplayable, and certainly deserves to be number one in our power rankings.
But where could any of these teams rank amongst the best Champions League teams of all-time?