We’re at the business end of the Champions League. Europe’s premier club competition returns this week, with four enticing quarterfinal matchups on tap. Below, we dissect each fixture and predict the outcome.

Real Madrid vs. Liverpool

• First leg: April 6 (Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano)
• Second leg: April 14 (Anfield)

A pair of European aristocrats renew hostilities in arguably the most difficult quarterfinal clash to interpret. Even in the context of the strangest football season in recent memory, Real Madrid and Liverpool have both endured particularly peculiar campaigns.

The Spanish giants, 13-time winners of the Champions League, have been largely unremarkable all year and continue to rely almost exclusively on the outstanding Karim Benzema for goals. And yet, here they are, unbeaten in all competitions since Jan. 30 and alive on the continental and domestic fronts. Liverpool, meanwhile, have been forced into more lineup changes and defensive combinations than anyone could have predicted, but they appear to slowly be recovering from a horrid stretch in which everything that could go wrong did. Just in time, too.

Injuries have been the predominant theme of the Reds’ season, but it’s an ailment on the Real Madrid side that could have the largest impact on this encounter. Madrid captain Sergio Ramos will miss both legs of the tie with a calf issue. The absence of the veteran defender could see left-back Ferland Mendy again slot into a three-man backline, robbing Madrid of a crucial outlet down the left side. It’s not ideal under any circumstances, and it’s especially problematic when Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah are the opposite numbers on the flank.

A month ago, Real Madrid would have likely been tipped to dispatch a Liverpool side in disarray. But with Fabinho back in his customary midfield role and Diogo Jota flying high and offering another dangerous attacking threat, the Reds now appear to have the edge.

Prediction: Liverpool advance

Manchester City vs. Borussia Dortmund

• First leg: April 6 (Etihad Stadium)
• Second leg: April 14 (Signal Iduna Park)

This has to be the season, right?

Manchester City’s struggles in Europe under Pep Guardiola have been well-documented; since the celebrated tactician arrived at the club, City haven’t gone beyond the quarterfinal stage of the Champions League. Last year’s defeat to Lyon was as painful as it was unexpected, and it rehashed discussions over the manager’s propensity to tinker too much with his lineup and tactics in key moments. Making adjustments based on your opponent is important and necessary. But Guardiola, undeniably a brilliant football mind, can sometimes push things too far.

Another European failure this season would surely be the most stunning of the lot. City are steamrolling everything in their way right now: They’ve won 26 of their last 27 games in all competitions, boast the best expected goal difference of any team in the Champions League by a country mile, and have several players capable of the sublime at any time. It’s a bit unfair, really.

If all that wasn’t enough, they’re catching Borussia Dortmund at the ideal time. The German outfit enters this week’s first leg on the back of a debilitating Bundesliga defeat, one that left their top-four hopes in tatters and saw chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke lambaste the players’ attitude and question their willpower. The internal strife has led to suggestions that star striker Erling Haaland is on his way out, with none other than Manchester City cited as front-runners for his coveted signature. Haaland, who leads the Champions League with 10 goals this season, is certainly capable of winning any match on his own, but this feels like a challenge too large for even him to overcome.

Prediction: Manchester City advance

Bayern Munich vs. Paris Saint-Germain

• First leg: April 7 (Allianz Arena)
• Second leg: April 13 (Parc des Princes)

It’s a rematch of last season’s final, though the absence of Robert Lewandowski takes some of the shine off. Not that Paris Saint-Germain will care.

A team needs every edge it can find to win a major tournament, and sympathy for Bayern Munich will be in short supply after PSG also failed to make it through the recent international break unscathed. While Lewandowski damaged knee ligaments playing for Poland, the French club lost influential Italian pair Marco Verratti and Alessandro Florenzi after both tested positive for COVID-19. Each side will thus be forced into some intriguing changes that will go a long way in determining who emerges from the tie.

Reigning champions Bayern still have the more balanced squad overall, particularly in midfield. But without Lewandowski, PSG’s top-end talent is more impressive, especially with Neymar back in the mix to aid Kylian Mbappe. PSG have been trending toward becoming a more cohesive unit – that’s what helped them reach the final last season – but given their own key absences at the moment, this is when the onus is on the standout names to step up and carry the team over the hump, balance be damned.

Paris Saint-Germain have invested heavily in star power over the years, both on the pitch and the touchline. With rumors continuing to fly about Mbappe’s future, the window to capitalize on that approach and win the only title the PSG brass truly desires could be closing. Against a Bayern side that’s missing its best player and shown signs of defensive vulnerability all season, this is a great opportunity to make a big statement.

Prediction: PSG advance

Porto vs. Chelsea

• First leg: April 7 (Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium)
• Second leg: April 13 (Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium)

How much stock should we put in Chelsea’s stinker of a performance against West Bromwich Albion this past weekend?

If their shocking 5-2 home defeat to the relegation-threatened Baggies was indicative of a larger issue, the Blues are in trouble. If it was just a blip, they should still feel confident about reaching the Champions League semifinals. All the evidence since Thomas Tuchel took over suggests the latter; Chelsea were unbeaten in 14 games under the German before Saturday’s meltdown. Timing notwithstanding, one can forgive a team for laying the occasional egg.

Chelsea still have kinks to iron out, but they match up favorably with Porto, the surprise quarterfinalists looking to reach the semifinals for the first time since winning the Champions League in 2004.

After an upset win over Juventus in the previous round, the stout Portuguese side will likely find it far more difficult to control the tempo against Chelsea. Juve’s lack of a dynamic midfielder who can break pressure and play between the lines allowed Porto to get set in its defensive shape without having to worry about being pulled out of position. Chelsea, however, can create havoc in exactly those areas through standout performer Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, and Hakim Ziyech. Deeper in midfield, Mateo Kovacic’s ability to dribble out of tight spaces will be vital.

Pepe, so imperious against Juventus largely because he could comfortably set up shop in his own penalty area and organize his defensive troops, should find things more chaotic against Chelsea. Sergio Oliveira’s absence also looms large for Wednesday’s first leg. The Portuguese international, suspended due to yellow card accumulation, dominated the middle of the pitch in the round of 16.

Prediction: Chelsea advance

It’s the end of an era at Manchester City. Sergio Aguero, the club’s all-time leading scorer and author of arguably the most iconic moment in Premier League history, is leaving the Etihad when his contract expires at season’s end.

Following Monday’s announcement, we look at six potential destinations for the soon-to-be free-agent striker.

Linking up with Leo

It’s no secret that Aguero and compatriot Lionel Messi are exceptionally close friends and have been since they were teenagers. The two have been rooming together during international duty with Argentina since they were 17 years old.

That bond has long been touted as an element that could play a key role in Manchester City’s longstanding pursuit of Messi, and it took on even greater significance when the Barcelona megastar tried to engineer a move away from the Catalan club last year. Aguero, it was believed, could help seal the deal.

But with the striker leaving the Premier League club this summer, and the election of Joan Laporta potentially restoring Messi’s faith in Barcelona’s future, perhaps the two could actually link up in Spain, not England.

Barca are still in the market for a striker because the Antoine Griezmann experiment simply hasn’t worked out as planned. Their financial issues make a potential free transfer for Aguero much more palpable, and plausible, than a high-priced deal for someone like Erling Haaland or Lautaro Martinez.

In many ways, this move checks all the boxes for everyone involved.

Staying put in England

It’s perhaps the least likely option on this list, but Premier League clubs wouldn’t be doing their due diligence if those squads don’t at least kick the tires. After seeing Aguero score so many goals as the opposition, the prospect of being on the other side of that equation would be enticing.

Realistically, there are few clubs that can afford the likely significant wage demands, and even fewer that could offer the prestigious European football Aguero surely still craves.

However, Chelsea’s search for another striker continues, even after last year’s deal for Timo Werner. If anything, Werner’s presence makes it more important for the Blues to find a center-forward, as the German thrives while playing in a hybrid wide role. With Olivier Giroud’s contract set to expire, and Tammy Abraham seemingly falling down the pecking order, Aguero could enter the frame.

After adjusting his game and showing he can be a more complete forward under Pep Guardiola, Aguero could, in theory, slot into Thomas Tuchel’s uptempo system.

Atletico Madrid reunion

Aguero has grown into a Manchester City legend since arriving in 2011, becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer with 257 goals. But he cut his teeth in Europe at Atletico Madrid, establishing himself as a prolific finisher in the Spanish capital while racking up 101 goals for Atleti over 234 matches.

The stadium may be different now, but the surroundings would be familiar.

Reuniting with a forward entering the twilight of his career isn’t a foreign concept at Atletico, either. The club has established a track record of doing exactly that with varying degrees of success after signing Fernando Torres, and more recently, Diego Costa.

Nostalgia exists at Atleti, despite the team’s steely reputation. The 32-year-old Aguero fits that bill, and there’s more left in his tank than the aforementioned pair had upon their returns to Madrid. His acrimonious departure in 2011 may still sting for some, but those memories will be erased if Aguero returns to the club and scores goals.

Juve’s latest free transfer

Inevitably, Juventus’ ears perk up whenever a player of repute becomes available on a free transfer. The club has enjoyed extreme success recruiting in that space during its title-winning run, with current manager Andrea Pirlo the most celebrated example. At the very least, Juve’s brass is surely discussing Aguero, even if Turin isn’t an immediately obvious destination.

For starters, bringing the Argentine aboard would require some corresponding moves involving the club’s current crop of forwards. That’s arguably Juventus’ trickiest personnel group right now. Paulo Dybala’s contract extension remains unresolved, Alvaro Morata is in the midst of a multi-season loan, Dejan Kulusevski has endured an erratic debut season at the club, and rumors over Cristiano Ronaldo’s future continue to swirl.

Before even considering a swoop for Aguero, there are plenty of questions for Juve to answer.

Help PSG load up

Paris Saint-Germain can’t be discounted, as they’re always looking to make a splash.

Rumblings that Mauricio Pochettino was eyeing a move for Aguero upon being named the manager of PSG were likely just a matter of obvious connections being made, but that gossip isn’t going anywhere. Monday’s announcement, naturally, only heightened the scuttlebutt.

It’s not a totally outrageous link, to be fair. Despite the absurd collection of attacking talent that surrounds him, Mauro Icardi hasn’t exactly been lighting things up as the team’s No. 9 this season. Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, among others, take plenty of the scoring burden off the club’s central striker, whoever that may be at any time.

But if PSG can plug someone more prolific into that role, and avoid paying a transfer fee – even if the wage demands will be hefty as a result – why wouldn’t they?

Bringing it full circle

The romantic option, of course, is returning to where it all started.

Aguero has been open about his desire to eventually rejoin boyhood club Independiente, going back to where he ascended through the youth academy to eventually make his senior debut as a 15-year-old. His roughly €23 million transfer to Atletico Madrid in 2006 remains a club-record sale.

For any footballer, returning home is often viewed as the final stop before retirement. Aguero may be on the wrong side of 30, but there’s still plenty he can offer in the right situation.

Injury and illness have disrupted his current campaign. Between hamstring and knee issues, and a battle with COVID-19, the veteran has been limited to just five starts for Manchester City in all competitions this season. There’s an element of risk for any interested team, but especially for Independiente, the positives likely outweighing the negatives.

Barcelona have emerged as surprise contenders for Erling Haaland’s signature – but don’t rule out Real Madrid and other European giants vying for the Borussia Dortmund striker.

The Catalonian club hosted a two-and-a-half-hour meeting between Haaland’s agent, Mino Raiola, his father, Alf-Inge, Barca president Joan Laporta and their incoming director of football, Mateu Alemany, on Thursday, ESPN’s Alex Kirkland and Moises Llorens report.

However, Raiola and Haaland Sr. then flew out to the Spanish capital for discussions with Real Madrid, according to The Guardian’s Fabrizio Romano. It’s understood that Raiola intends to hold talks with other interested parties – Manchester City, Chelsea, and potentially Manchester United – in the coming weeks.

Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge quashed his club’s links with the 20-year-old on Wednesday.

Raiola’s talks with Barcelona “were positive if inconclusive,” Romano reports, and primarily explored the viability of a transfer. Laporta and Raiola have a long-standing, strong relationship, and Barcelona hope this, along with technical secretary Ramon Planes’ association with Raiola, could aid them in their pursuit.

Signing the Norwegian hotshot is seen as a strategic move by some behind the scenes at Barca because it would both strengthen the squad and ensure Haaland doesn’t join a domestic or continental rival.

However, Barcelona have been beset by financial issues during the COVID-19 pandemic, so there is an acceptance that striking a deal could prove difficult. The club is considering offloading players from its wage bill – possibly Philippe Coutinho, Antoine Griezmann, and Samuel Umtiti – and investigating lines of credit to finance a transfer, according to Kirkland and Llorens.

Barca are aware that Haaland is enticed by a switch to Clasico rivals Real Madrid, while Manchester City’s financial clout and connection with the player’s father – Alf-Inge Haaland captained the club before injuries prematurely ended his career – make them serious contenders.

Haaland is reportedly available for €75 million in the summer of 2022 due to a release clause in his contract. But, for now, Dortmund have apparently set the high-scoring marksman’s asking price at €180 million.