And then there were eight.
All roads lead to Lisbon for the sides looking to claim the crown of Champions of Europe for 2020.
Those sides are Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Lyon, PSG, Atletico Madrid, Leipzig and Atalanta with the latter four of those teams having already secured their Quarter-Final spots in the competition prior to the shutdown of sport as a result of the Coronavirus Pandemic.
The seven remaining games will take place in two stadiums - Benfica's Estadio da Luz and the Estadio Jose Alvalade, the home of Sporting Libson.
The format of course differs to the regular format of the Champions League, in identical fashion to the Europa League, in order to complete the tournament in time to start next season's domestic top flights across Europe.
Each quarter-final is a one-off match with no second leg. Should the scores be level after 90 minutes, extra time and penalties if necessary
Teams will also be allowed to make five substitutions at three points in the game although half time is not included within these points and one additional substitution will be allowed in the ties that go to extra time.
Atalanta v PSG (Wednesday 12th August - 8pm KO GMT)
The first Quarter-Final is a matchup between two sides who only know one way to play - attack, attack, attack.
Atalanta and PSG are two of the most free flowing sides in Europe, scoring goals for fun this season.
Indeed for PSG, that's the case most seasons such is their utter dominance domestically having won seven of the last eight Ligue 1 titles. The French top flight was ended early this season due to Covid19 but the Parisians still managed to rack up 75 goals in just 27 league matches, an average of 2.58 per match.
Domestic titles are no longer the main focus for PSG's wealthy owners, Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), however - it's all about European glory now.
The signings of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar in 2017 signalled their intent with the pair joining for a combined fee of almost £400m. Their strike force also boast 2014 Champions League Final Man-of-the-Match Angel Di Maria and former Inter Milan marksman Mauro Icardi, who's signed permanently following a loan spell from the Italian giants.
There are concerns over the availability of Mbappe, however, with the French World Cup winner picking up an ankle injury in the Coupe De France final win over St Etienne last month.
PSG's campaign started with a 3-0 demolition of Real Madrid in Paris which led to a dominant group stage campaign, finishing five points clear of Zidane's side before Borussia Dortmund lay in wait in the last 16.
An Erling Haaland brace gave the German's a 2-1 win in the first leg before goals from Neymar and Juan Bernat completed the comeback three weeks later in an empty Park De Princes. There are signs that PSG are finally finding their feet against the elite.
Atalanta, meanwhile, are quite the opposite.
The team from Lombardy, originally one of the worst hit areas in Italy by the spread of Coronavirus, are an exceptionally well run outfit led by Gian Piero Gasperini who in September 2019 was made an honorary citizen of Bergamo after he lead the side into the Champions League for the first time.
The Italians, who have had to play their home Champions League games at the San Siro in Milan, have scored a combined 175 goals in the last two seasons in Serie A including an incredible 98 this season as they achieved their all-time record points total in the top flight.
Atalanta's presence in the quarter-finals is made all the more remarkable when you consider they had just one point from their first four games in the group stages, losing their first three games including a 4-0 defeat in Croatia against Dinamo Zagreb.
They secured their first point in Matchday Four against Manchester City before successive wins over Shakthar Donetsk and Dinamo saw them snatch second sport in the group when all looked lost.
La Dea, however, are set to be without talisman Josip Ilicic for the biggest game in the club's history. The Slovenian international is Atalanta's top scorer this season and has five goals in the Champions League, including four in the last 16 second win against Valencia.
Gasperini's side must therefore look for inspiration from the likes of Luis Muriel, the club's record signing at 18 million euros, and Duvan Zapata. Both forwards have 19 goals each so far this season.
Former Chelsea midfielder Mario Pasalic and wingback Robin Gosens have also been a reliable source of goals this campaign.
Verdict: If Ilicic had been available, I really would've fancied Atalanta to cause one of the biggest upsets in recent Champions League history. Mbappe's potential absence would of course also be a blow for PSG but given the desire of the French champions to finally secure that maiden premier European title, I'll go for them to progress
Leipzig v Atletico Madrid (Thursday 13th August - 8pm KO GMT)
Whereas Atalanta and PSG adopt an 'attack, attack, attack' approach, this tie presents a contrast of styles.
Under the guidance of former Hoffenheim boss Julian Nagelsmann, Leipzig have a genuine ambition to become a major force in Germany and on the continental stage with their brand of expansive, devastating football.
The Red Bulls were only formed in 2009 but have experienced a meteoric rise through the leagues, which has led to them being labelled as "Germany's most hated club" with their substantial financial backing from energy drink company Red Bull.
The club gained promotion to the Bundesliga for the first time in 2016 and immediately established themselves in the top flight with a second placed finish, the best placing by a promoted side since Kaiserslauten in 1997/98 who remarked claimed the German title only a year after winning the second division.
This is only the club's second season playing in the Champions League and the first in which they've managed to make it past the group stage of the competition.
Die Roten Bullen won their group, comfortably seeing off Benfica and Zenit St Peterburg as well as fellow quarter-finalists Lyon, to set up a last 16 tie against last season's losing finalists Tottenham Hotspur.
A penalty from Timo Werner, who has since left to join Chelsea, gave Nagelsmann's men a 1-0 win in North London before a convincing 3-0 win at the Red Bull Arena secured their passage through with a brace from Marcel Sabizter and a late strike by Emil Forsberg.
Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, are known for their much more structured approach that's been the norm ever since head coach Diego Simeone's arrival in 2011.
The former Argentina international has carried the passion and drive from his playing career to the dugout and his antics on the touchline are arguably the most entertaining feature of Atletico's matches.
Simeone won the La Liga title with Atletico Madrid as a player in 1996 and led the club to domestic glory in 2014, breaking the dominance of Barcelona and Real Madrid that had stood for 11 years.
In the Champions League, however, Atletico have been the nearly boys under Simeone. Los Rojos Blancos have won the Europa League twice in the past decade but their two finals in Europe's Premier club competition have twice brought heartbreak - losing in extra time in 2014 and on penalties in 2016, both against arch rivals Real.
This season's campaign has seen Atletico produce their best football of the campaign following a third placed finish in La Liga, ending the campaign 17 points behind Real as well as a shock Copa Del Rey exit at round of 32 stage at the hands of third division side Cultural Leonesa.
Atletico finished six points behind Juventus in the group stage, beating Bayer Leverkusen to second spot and, just like Leipzig, faced a last 16 tie against English oppositions - defending champions Liverpool.
An early Saul Niguez goal was enough to claim a 1-0 win at the Wanda Metropolitano, the stadium Jurgen Klopp's team had lifted the trophy for the sixth time in June.
A trip to Anfield was always going to test Atletico's resolve and when goal Gini Wijnaldum broke the deadlock to draw Liverpool level on aggregate, Simeone's side were up against the ropes.
That was until a remarkable extra time showing after Roberto Firmino had given Liverpool the lead in the tie.
Marcos Llorente capitalised on a error from Adrian to give Atletico the lead on away goals before adding a second to all but put the tie beyond Liverpool. Alvaro Morata then scored with the last kick of the game to condemn the Reds to their first Anfield defeat since September 2018 and send Atletico through.
Verdict: The loss of top scorer Werner is a massive blow to Leipzig, when you consider he had almost 20 goals in all competitions more than The Red Bulls next highest scorer Sabitzer. Atletico have the know-how at this level and stifle Leipzig's attacking play. I think Simeone's side with grace the semi-finals once again.
Barcelona v Bayern Munich (Friday 14th August - 8pm KO GMT)
A meeting of two of the greats in world football who are experiencing markedly different times.
By Barcelona's standard's it's been a catastrophic season. A run of three draws of four games post-lockdown allowed Real Madrid to leapfrog them and claim the La Liga title for the first time since 2017 meanwhile Barca were knocked out of the Copa Del Rey at the quarter-final stage after a stoppage time own goal from Sergio Busquets against Athletic Bilbao.
Off the pitch, this season has been a car crash at the Nou Camp.
There were calls for Ernesto Valverde to leave long before he was eventually relieved of his duties in January after a 3-2 defeat to Atletico in the Supercopa De Espana, with dramatic Champions League exits against Roma and Liverpool in recent years at the centre of frustrations.
He was replaced by Quique Setien with Barca top of the table. Setien has so far struggled to command respect from the squad.
There have also been the seemingly annual reports linking Lionel Messi with a move away from the club for whom he's spent his entire career. The six-time Ballon D'or winner still carries the weight of the club on his shoulders.
Barcelona's performances in Europe this season, however, have by-and-large been of the standard you expect from Messi and co.
There appeared to be a genuine threat that Barcelona would play in the Europa League for the first time since 2004, then the UEFA Cup, when they were paired with Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund at the group stage. That threat was quickly extinguished.
Barca finished top of the group, winning home and away against Inter as well as seeing off Dortmund at the Nou Camp.
The last 16 took Setien's side to Campania where they secured a 1-1 draw with Napoli before the global shutdown of sport. Goals from Clemen Lenglet, Messi and Suarez completed the job in Catalonia last week behind closed doors.
Over in Bavaria, Bayern Munich's season had threatened to follow the pattern of Barca's after a poor start to the Bundesliga.
A 5-1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt to November signalled the end of Niko Kovac's reign in charge and when Ramy Bensebaïni's penalty gave Borussia Monchengladbach a 2-1 win over Germany's record champions in December, Bayern were seven points adrift of the Foals at the summet in seventh place.
However, thanks to Kovac's assistant manager Hansi Flick, Bayern have returned to their all conquering best.
After that defeat to Monchengladbach, Bayern won 19 of their remaining 20 Bundesliga matches to ultimately win the title by 13 points as well as winning the DFB Pokal for fourth time in seven seasons.
Bayern's recent performances in Europe, however, simply haven't delivered that a club of this size demands.
Their last triumph in the tournament came at Wembley against Dortmund in 2013, the last time that Bayern have reached the final.
It was against London club whom Bayern have particularly devastating this season with four victories in total against Tottenham and Chelsea by a combined margin of 17-4 including a 7-2 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Arena with Serge Gnabry scoring four.
All of this without somehow mentioning Bayern's leading marksman Robert Lewandowski with the Poland captain having the best season of his career at the age of 31 with a staggering 53 goals to date.
Should Bayern go all the way, Lewandowski will have a huge say.
Verdict: I just can't see past Bayern Munich. They're a machine. A ruthless, destructive, goalscoring machine. Of course with Messi and Suarez, there is still the potential for Barca to put right the wrongs of their domestic campaign but, for me, there's no stopping Bayern.
Manchester City v Lyon (Saturday 15th August - 8pm KO GMT)
On paper, the most one-sided tie of the week.
Manchester City have won almost everything there is to win under Pep Guardiola with one exception - The Champions League.
City's desire to win their first European Cup has intensified after having the Premier League wrestled from their grasp by Liverpool, finishing 17 points behind in second place. For this squad, that is simply unthinkable.
This is a squad with arguably the best depth in Europe in almost every area of the pitch and, in a one-off match format, will more than fancy their chances to go all the way when you consider it's been the two-leg format that has been their undoing in recent years.
City haven't reached the semi-finals since 2016 where they lost to eventual winners Real Madrid and, since Pep Guardiola took charge, have been knocked out by Monaco in the last 16 and both Liverpool and, sensationally, Tottenham in the quarter-finals.
The group stage posed no great challenge to City with four wins and two draws seeing them finish seven points ahead of second placed Atalanta. Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus both grabbing hat-trick in the first stage.
Then came Real Madrid led by the great Zinidine Zidane. Real Madrid who so often set the standard at this level having won four of the last six Champions League titles. Real Madrid who City aim to one day emulate.
Isco opened the scoring for Los Blancos in Madrid before Kevin De Bruyne proved why he's the best midfielder on the planet, firstly providing the assist for Jesus before scoring the winner from the spot. It was one of the great individual performances in Manchester City's history.
Sergio Ramos' late red card meant the Real captain was absent for the second leg in Manchester last week and it proved crucial as two mistakes from Raphael Varane allowed Sterling and Jesus to kill off a brief Real fightback.
Lyon, meanwhile, go into this game facing odds of 9/1 going into the match but this is a side that enjoy being the underdogs.
In the 2000s, Lyon were the almost unstoppable in Ligue 1 winning seven titles in a row inspired by the likes of Karim Benzema, Juninho and Michel Bastos. While there is no lack of quality in this current squad, it's just not the same.
Memphis Depay, who was originally ruled out for the season with an ACL injury, Moussa Dembele and Houssem Aouar all provide a threat going forward. Depay in particular has been rejuvenated since failing to impress at Old Trafford in 2015/16.
Les Gones were also hit hard by the shutdown of sport in March with Ligue 1 being finished early on a points-per-game system meaning that Lyon finished seventh, missing out on European football of any nature next season.
They lost on penalties to PSG in the last ever Coupe De Ligue at the end of July meaning that winning the Champions League is the only way they will be compete on the continent next term.
It's a surprise that Rudi Garcia's side are even at this stage giving they were drawn against Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus in the last 16. The Old Lady signed Ronaldo in 2018 specifically to win this competition.
A goal from the now departed Lucas Tousart gave Lyon a chance with a 1-0 win in France in February but it was widely expected that they wouldn't be able to see through the job in Turin.
They didn't read the script.
An early Depay penalty gave Juventus a mountain to claim and, despite a brace from Ronaldo to secure a 2-1 win on the night for the Italians, the Dutchman's strike was enough to see Lyon through on away goals.
Verdict: City will win this match, the only question is by how many. Lyon deserved all the credit for seeing off Juventus but their journey will stop at the quarter-final stage. City want the Champions League and this is the best chance they've ever had to claim it.
Champions League Quarter-Final ties:
Atalanta v PSG
Leipzig v Atletico Madrid
Barcelona v Bayern Munich
Manchester City v Lyon
Champions League Semi-Final ties:
Atalanta or PSG v Leipzig or Atletico Madrid
Manchester City or Lyon Barcelona or Bayern Munich
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