Steven Gerrard Backs Bayern Munich as Champions League 'Dark Horse'
Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard has singled out Bayern Munich as his unexpected favorite to clinch the Champions League title this season. The Bundesliga giants secured their spot in the quarter-finals with a commanding 10-2 aggregate win over Atalanta, setting up a highly anticipated clash with Real Madrid, who eliminated Manchester City.
Quarter-Final Matchups and Expert Insights
In other quarter-final fixtures, Liverpool will face Paris Saint-Germain after a 4-0 victory against Galatasaray, while Barcelona takes on Atletico Madrid. Arsenal, the competition's only unbeaten team this season, is set to meet Sporting CP. Gerrard, who lifted the Champions League trophy with Liverpool in 2005, shared his analysis on TNT Sports, emphasizing the critical phase of the tournament.
'It's that stage of the competition where the big hitters, the big players, the big teams, they start flexing their muscles,' Gerrard remarked. 'If you're not at it, you can get scorelines like that where you run away with it.'
While Gerrard believes Real Madrid will advance if they perform at their peak, he expressed strong confidence in Bayern Munich's potential. 'But Bayern could be the dark horses this year,' he stated. 'They've got everyone back fit now, Harry Kane's in form, [Vincent] Kompany has got them well drilled, well organised. I think they're better equipped this season than they have been in the previous four or five.'
PSG's Form and Liverpool's Challenge
Meanwhile, former footballer Steve McManaman commented on Paris Saint-Germain's current form, noting that despite their 8-2 aggregate thrashing of Chelsea in the last-16, the defending champions have not yet reached their peak. 'Their form hasn't been as good as last year,' McManaman observed. 'It's whether they are hitting form now. Their performances against Chelsea were excellent, they're an outstanding team and they're starting to peak at the right time, but they're not as dominant as they were last year, not by far.'
Gerrard added his perspective on the upcoming Liverpool-PSG tie, highlighting the increased difficulty compared to Liverpool's previous match. 'It will be a different game because PSG are obviously a lot better than Galatasaray,' he said. 'Liverpool have to be perfect to go through to the semi-final. But you've got to remember what happened last year – everyone be at it, everyone be all in, the fans with you. If Liverpool can find that type of level, they'll give PSG a game over the two legs.'
The Champions League quarter-finals promise thrilling encounters as top teams vie for a place in the semi-finals, with Bayern Munich emerging as a compelling underdog according to Gerrard's assessment.
