Hello Rank Squad!
It's time for the Champions League Takeaway - an immediate review of everything that went down in the Champions League this week as we had our first round of quarter final matches. Every matchweek, we're going to be ranking the three key takeaways from each of the games played that week, and looking at the games through that Ranks FC lens, to give you a sense of everything that we learned from each game.
We start with Real Madrid's 2-0 win over Chelsea at the Bernabeu, where Frank Lampard's Blues lacked real dynamism, and the spark and trickery of Vini and Valverde made them pay. We try to find some positives for Chelsea too, but ultimately this one felt like a bridge too far for a team lost with where they are right now.
Then in Part 2, we head for Milan, where Napoli were once again quashed as the Rossoneri came out on top in an all-Italian affair. We talk about the power of San Siro, Napoli's nightmare evening in the North, and Milan's refusal to kill the game off - will that cost them in Naples? Three B's headline Benfica 0-2 Inter, where Bastoni's long passing is given its due credit, Benfica's wilting under the lights is discussed in terms of fatigue and experience, and Barella's return to Europe's top tier of midfielders is heralded - he remains Inter's big-game Mr. Reliable. Finally we turn our attention to Manchester, to the most impressive performance of all 8, where City's intensity made Bayern melt in the Manchester malaise, the Barnsley Beckenbauer John Stones ascended to the throne of his namesake against his old club, and Dayot Upamecano had an evening we're sure he'd love to forget.
It's Ranks!
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Champions League Takeaway: Manchester Mentality Monsters, Inter's Italian Job, Rodrygo Rises for Real & Milan's Nucleão Option
Ranking The Season's Most Exciting Endings
Ranking the Best Front Three in Europe
Ranking the Champions League Last 8
Ranking This Week's Managerial Madness: Nagelsmann, Tuchel & Conte
Ranking Young Stars Who Could Change European International Football
Champions League Takeaway: High Five for Haaland's City, Dogfight at the Dragão, Real Dispatch Liverpool & Another Nice Neapolitan Night
Scouting, Spain & Snowstorms: Ranks Meets Lee Scott, Chief Scout at Vélez CF
Champions League Takeaway: Bayern Burn PSG, Spurs Whimper Out, A Big Win for Potter's Chelsea & Benfica Sink Scotty P
Ranking Players Who Define Their Leagues
Monday Postbox Teaser: Liverpool 7-0 Manchester United
Ranking Burning Questions That Will Shape The End Of This Season
UCL Review: Real Thump Liverpool, Napoli Sail On, Leipzig Hold City & Inter Edge Porto
Ranking Europe's Top Goalscorers This Season
UCL Review: UCL Review: Delight for Dortmund, Milan Top Spurs, Benfica Batter Brugge & Coman Haunts PSG Again
Ranking Every Premier League Captain (v2)
Ranking the Champions League Last 16
Making Sense of Transfer Deadline Day
Ranking Under-The-Radar Transfer Deals for Young Stars
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