Bayern V Arsenal
When Arsenal and Bayern were drawn together in the last eight, there was a feeling of inevitability. This pairing sets the stage for Harry Kane, who has been a persistent thorn in the Gunners’ side for over a decade during his tenure at their north London rivals Tottenham, to make the familiar trip once more. His aim remains to maintain his impressive scoring record against Arsenal.

The 30-year-old has delivered an astonishing 14 goals in 17 Premier League games in those derbies, cementing his position as the all-time top scorer in the fixture ahead of renowned names like Thierry Henry and Emmanuel Adebayor. Remarkably, both Spurs and Arsenal had six victories each in those encounters. Kane’s prowess in front of goal appears to have only amplified, reaching a career-high 31 league goals in Bayern’s triumph over Darmstadt on 16 March. The Gunners can undoubtedly anticipate his threat.

Psg V Barcelona
When Paris and Barcelona meet in the Champions League, you can expect raised eyebrows and captivating storylines. This will mark their fourth encounter in the knockout stages since 2012/13, with the Catalan club holding the overall advantage, having won the first three matchups. Undoubtedly, the most memorable clash was in 2017, when Barcelona orchestrated a remarkable comeback, overturning a 4-0 first-leg defeat to complete La Remontada.

However, the most recent encounter yielded a different outcome, largely due to the prowess of Kylian Mbappé. The French striker made history by becoming the first visiting player to score a hat-trick in the Camp Nou in this competition since Andriy Shevchenko for Dynamo Kyiv in 1997, propelling Paris to a stunning 4-1 victory. Mbappé also found the net in the return leg, putting an end to Barcelona’s hopes of replicating their previous comeback. As they prepare to face each other once again, will Mbappé script yet another memorable chapter in this riveting rivalry?

ABOUT THE WRITER
Shahzeb Ali Rizvi is a sports aficionado with a keen eye for the intricacies of cricket and football. He can be reached at [email protected]