With Madrid in full control during the second half last night, and Liverpool knowing a comeback was beyond them, minds at the Bernabeu and elsewhere were wondering who Madrid could get in the quarter-final draw. of Friday.
There is the possibility of rematches against two English sides they spectacularly beat in last season’s knockout stage, and perhaps Madrid would prefer not to face Chelsea or, above all, the Manchester sides. City bent on revenge.
Bayern Munich are historically seen as an ‘ogre’ in the Spanish capital, but recently Madrid have gotten the better of their frequent Champions League fixtures. None of Benfica, AC Milan or Inter Milan are likely to cause the European Cup holders too much trouble.
The most interesting could be Napoli, who could give Madrid a huge challenge. It’s not hard to imagine a situation where the in-form attacking duo of Serie A leaders Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia gave their side a healthy lead in a first leg away to Napoli.
It would give Ancelotti, who spent a year and a half as Napoli manager from the summer of 2018 – and his team another opportunity to turn the tide in the usual dramatic fashion.