Gyokeres makes Sporting return
Arsenal won the race to sign Gyokeres last summer and the 27-year-old has improved from a modest start. He’s scored 17 goals in all competitions and heads into the clash with five goals in his last three games for club and country.
Sporting know more than most the threat that Gyokeres can pose, and stopping him will be key to their chances.
At the other end, the Swede’s successor, Luis Suarez, has been in sensational form. Picked up from Segunda División side Almeria in the summer, the Colombian has fired 33 goals in all competitions this season.
Can Real Madrid maintain hoodoo over Bayern?
Real Madrid and Bayern Munich meet in a Champions League classic. Two of Europe’s most successful sides do battle in the quarter-finals, as a curious quirk continues.
The rich heritage of the teams means this is the Champions League’s most played fixture, though the sides have never met in a final.
On each of the last five occasions that the teams have met in the Champions League knockout stages, the victor has reached the final.
Simeone must find a plan to stop Yamal
Lamine Yamal was a thorn in the Atletico Madrid side, with makeshift left-back Nico Gonzalez sent off in first-half stoppage time after a torrid time up against the teenager.
Simeone stuck with Gonzalez, despite his struggles and the presence of Matteo Ruggeri and David Hancko on the bench. After Atletico were badly exposed at the weekend, Simeone must now devise a plan to contain Yamal. That will be easier said than done.
Arne Slot faces a defining night in Paris
It was the club’s biggest FA Cup loss since 1946, one of several unwanted records Slot’s side has set this season. A 4-1 defeat at home to PSV Eindhoven was the club’s joint-biggest European defeat since 1966, while a 3-0 Anfield reverse against Nottingham Forest was the Reds’ joint-biggest home league defeat since 1964.
Liverpool fans have a reputation for patience, but it appears to be almost out. Premier League champions last season, Liverpool face the threat of missing out on Champions League qualification, despite their record-breaking spend last summer.
The French champions scored eight times over two legs against Chelsea and have the potential to pick another Premier League opponent apart. Slot may not survive another embarrassment.
