Ranking the must-watch games of the Champions League quarterfinals

The Champions League returns on Tuesday (2:45 p.m. ET, FS1 and FS2) with the quarterfinal round kicking off. Eight teams remain to compete for European glory, but what are the most compelling matchups of the four remaining ties?

Atletico Madrid vs. Leicester City

Diego Simeone is a must-watch every time he coaches. His cartoon super villain all black suits, his crazy antics on the sideline, and his 90 minute plus fireworks show makes him incredible entertainment. That's doesn't even touch upon the teams he puts out, and the intense performances his energy inspires. Leicester City are somehow this season's Cinderella story once again as well, despite having let the Dilly Dong Dilly Ding King Claudio Ranieri go.
Still, in terms of pure on-pitch entertainment and storylines, this one ranks last of the matchups. Atletico Madrid are expected to win, and comfortably, and it's hard to see Simeone, Antoine Griezmann, and co. letting Leicester add their names to the list of casualties in this fairytale story.

 

Borussia Dortmund vs. AS Monaco

This one's just going to be pure fun. Borussia Dortmund and Monaco are the two youngest, most exciting, and most attack-minded teams in the entire tournament, and they're pitted against each other. Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel and Monaco manager Leonardo Jardim love to attack, and they've built teams that do just that.
With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ousmane Dembele, Christian Pulisic on one side, and Kylian Mbappe, Falcao, and Bernardo Silva on the other, this one's going to be filled with beautiful football and goals.
Still, as fun as this one will be to watch, it doesn't quite have the prestige as the top two matchups.

Juventus vs. Barcelona

It's hard to pick between the rematch of 2015's Champions League final between Juventus and Barcelona or the rematch of 2014's epic semifinal between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Barcelona are coming off the most incredible comeback win in Champions League history, while Juventus are the strongest they've been since that final loss, and eager to get revenge for 2015.
Despite that incredible win against PSG though, Barcelona really haven't been great this season. They're coming into this match on the back of a loss to Malaga in the league, which may have delivered La Liga into the hands of bitter rivals Real Madrid. Juventus have coasted once again in Serie A, but they'll be more than wary of the threat Barcelona possess, and it's going to be a firecracker of a matchup no matter what the form book reads like before this one.

Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich

As good as Barcelona-Juventus looks like it'll be, Madrid-Bayern has all the makings of a classic. Both top of their respective leagues, and in incredible form, the storylines here are fantastic. Bayern Munich manager Carlo Ancelotti was in charge of Real Madrid with Zidane as his assistant when Madrid won their 10th European Cup in 2014. Zidane must have learned a thing or two from his mentor, because he then took Madrid over and won Champions League in 2016, in his very first season in charge.
Now, the two meet head to head for the first time, with two of the best squads in the world at their disposal. There are too many star names to list on both sides, with Robert Lewandowski, Arjen Robben, Thiago Alcantara, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, and former Bayern star Toni Kroos just a few of the players that will go head to head.
You can't miss this one.