An English team is likely to win the Champions League partly because of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's decline, Ottmar Hitzfeld says.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are "not as outstanding" as they once were, according to former Bayern Munich boss Ottmar Hitzfeld.
Messi has scored 43 goals in all competitions this term, more than any other player in Europe's top-five leagues, to help spearhead Barcelona's latest treble charge.
Ronaldo has managed a more relatively modest 24 goals in his first season with Juventus, but his hat-trick against Atletico Madrid sealed a Champions League quarter-final spot for the Serie A leaders and kept alive his chances of winning the trophy for the sixth time in his career.
And Hitzfeld believes each star is showing signs of decline, meaning a Premier League team is the most likely to become champions of Europe in 2018-19.
"I believe that English clubs have good chances again this year," Hitzfeld, who won the trophy as Borussia Dortmund and Bayern head coach, told Omnisport.
"They just have a lot of potential. And, maybe, because Messi is not as outstanding as in his best times, also Cristiano Ronaldo. He still makes his goals, but it will be difficult for Juventus to get into the last four, although they are always tactically excellently set up.
"I'm more likely to think of an English team, so Manchester City or Liverpool. One of them will certainly reach the final."
Messi's Barcelona face Manchester United in the quarter-final first leg at Old Trafford on Wednesday, the day Juve take on Ajax in Amsterdam.
On Tuesday, Liverpool play Porto and Tottenham meet Manchester City in the other last-eight ties.
Ronaldo, who last played for Juve on March 12, is battling to be fit following a muscle injury sustained for Portugal last month.
danny7_ida
343
At the end of the day messi and ronaldo are still better than the rest even with this so called decline. With the decline they still outperform the rest that is how good they are
Moomin17
248
And what's more annoying is that this type of comments pass from the player who name was never knew before!!!
Divyansh26
184
Come on we need to stop this .....Both of them are spectacular we need to stop the comparisons or the their would be a 3rd world war due to it ............ We must understand this love one respect both ........ We r lucky to be in this era 😊.......
Veybkmntuz
118
Decline? Wonderful!!! Panenka free kick,7 free kick already this season more any season = Messi More than 25goals in d 1st season in new league, new club. Hat trick against ATM=Ronaldo And u say decline. At that decline state they are way ahead of others. So what are we talking?
Jacadelmt
104
As long as Messi and Ronaldo are still playing no EPL team won't win any UCL..
MobePoku
96
The man visited Maradona today so don't blame him[Crylaugh]
Grabiboulga
10
Come on we need to stop this .....Both of them are spectacular we need to stop the comparisons or the their would be a 3rd world war due to it ............ We must understand this love one respect both ........ We r lucky to be in this era 😊.......
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Nah dont say they are equal thats disrespecting Messi