The only thing to be sure about with the Champions League, is that nothing's for sure.
That is at least what Liverpool fans will be telling themselves as Jurgen Klopp's men prepare to try to overturn a three-goal first-leg deficit against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.
Carlo Ancelotti continued his habit of terrorising Liverpool as his team staged a comeback of their own, recovering from 2-0 down at Anfield to run out 5-2 winners.
The LaLiga giants also defeated the Reds in last season's Champions League final, and so the hunger for revenge should be strong, but to come back against a team as strong as Madrid seems fanciful... or so it would seem.
Perhaps the most famous comeback in the competition's history is Liverpool breaking Ancelotti's heart in the final in Istanbul in 2005 as they turned around a three-goal margin in six second-half minutes before beating Milan on penalties, and Stats Perform has taken a look at some of the most notable second-leg Champions League comebacks of all-time to see if there is any cause for optimism for Klopp's team.
Deportivo La Coruna v Milan – Quarter-finals, 2003-04
Speaking of Ancelotti's Milan, they had a strange relationship with the Champions League over a three-year period between the 2002-03 season and that famous night in Istanbul 18 years ago.
The Rossoneri won the 2003 final against Juventus on penalties after an astonishingly dull 120 minutes at Old Trafford, before their agonising defeat to Liverpool at the same stage two years later.
What happened in between might have been the most bizarre of the lot, though.
In the last eight of the 2003-04 season, Milan eased to a 4-1 win against Spanish side Deportivo La Coruna in the first leg at San Siro.
It would turn out to be a strange season for the competition overall, with upsets all over the place, but none as remarkable as Deportivo's turnaround in the second leg at the Riazor Stadium.
Three goals in the first half from Walter Pandiani, Juan Carlos Valeron and Albert Luque put them ahead on away goals, before substitute Gonzalo Fran sealed a sensational 4-0 win in the second half to take the tie 5-4 on aggregate.
Barcelona v Paris Saint-Germain – Last 16, 2016-17
The biggest and arguably most famous comeback in Champions League history, Barcelona looked dead and buried after a 4-0 trouncing at the hands of PSG at the Parc des Princes in the first leg.
Goals from Angel Di Maria (two), Julian Draxler and Edinson Cavani looked to have put the tie to bed before the second leg at Camp Nou had even begun.
Luis Suarez scored just three minutes in to provide hope, while a Layvin Kurzawa own goal just before half-time was followed by a penalty from Lionel Messi just after as the impossible suddenly looked possible.
Cavani scored what seemed to be a crucial away goal for PSG just after the hour though as hopes began to fade for the Catalans.
In the closing stages, head coach Luis Enrique raised eyebrows when he turned to Sergi Roberto from the bench, hardly known for his goalscoring exploits at a time when they needed three in a short period.
Neymar made it 4-1 on the night in the 88th minute with what most assumed was just a consolation, before Barca were given a penalty soon after, which the Brazilian also dispatched.
With seconds remaining deep into stoppage time, Neymar lofted a ball into the box to find Sergi Roberto, who applied the finish and sealed an unbelievable 6-5 aggregate win.
Roma v Barcelona – Quarter-final, 2017-18
Of course, what goes around, comes around and Barca were on the wrong end of a dramatic turnaround just a year later.
Their 4-1 home win in the first leg had them full of confidence heading to the Italian capital for the second.
As with Barca's comeback against PSG, the return encounter started with an early goal, with Edin Dzeko finding the net just six minutes in at the Stadio Olimpico.
The Blaugrana held out until half-time without further damage, but Daniele De Rossi scored a penalty to bring Roma to within one goal of going through on away goals.
With eight minutes remaining, Kostas Manolas headed in a corner at the near post to send the home fans into absolute delirium and improbably take the Serie A side through.
It was a chastening experience for Barca, but surely it was just a one-off...
Liverpool v Barcelona – Semi-final, 2018-19
After a 3-0 win against the Premier League challengers at home, Barca had put themselves in a strong position again, but this time with the caution that was necessary after their humbling by Roma.
Yet again, an early goal gave hope to the optimists as Divock Origi bundled in the opener for Liverpool in the seventh minute, but yet again, Barca held out until the break, knowing Liverpool still needed two just to take it to extra-time.
Those two arrived in very quick succession as half-time substitute Giorginio Wijnaldum made it 2-0 in the 54th minute with a sweeping finish before heading in a third less than two minutes later.
All the momentum was with Liverpool, and with an almost inevitable amount of farce, a quickly-taken corner by Trent Alexander-Arnold caught the visitors napping as Origi slammed in a fourth.
Two seasons in a row, Barca had thrown away three-goal leads from the first leg, amounting for half of the four occasions it has happened in the competition's history.
Manchester United v Paris Saint-Germain – Last 16, 2018-19
While this was not a comeback from a three-goal deficit, it is the only example of a tie in which the team that has played the second leg away from home has won despite losing the first leg by more than one goal.
PSG outclassed United at Old Trafford, winning 2-0 thanks to goals from Presnel Kimpembe and Kylian Mbappe, while Paul Pogba was sent off late on for the hosts.
The dominant nature of the win more than anything else is why few gave United a hope of turning things around in Paris, but once more, an early goal changed the mood as Romelu Lukaku scored in the Parc des Princes with less than two minutes played.
Juan Bernat equalised soon after, but Lukaku restored United's lead on the half-hour mark.
PSG tried to put their English opponents away but in stoppage time, conceded a penalty for handball against Kimpembe, allowing Marcus Rashford to fire home to give the Red Devils a place in the history books.
So where does this leave Liverpool's chances of overcoming a three-goal deficit in Madrid?
Well, Los Blancos have only lost at home by a three-goal margin twice in the Champions League, both in the 2018-19 campaign, going down 3-0 to CSKA Moscow in the group stage and 4-1 against Ajax in the last-16 second leg.
Meanwhile, Liverpool have won an away game in the Champions League by three or more goals on 10 occasions, eight of which have come under Klopp, while they only very recently beat Manchester United 7-0 in the Premier League, albeit that was at Anfield and was swiftly followed by a limp 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth on Saturday.
You could argue that if it were any other team than Madrid, who seem to have a spell over the famous tournament, you would give Liverpool a chance of doing it such is their own record of dramatic appearances in the Champions League.
It seems like an impossible task, but you could also argue that if ever there were an opponent who could do such a thing to Madrid, it may be the Reds, especially given their past with Ancelotti.
It would certainly raise an eyebrow.
The Champions League knockout stages are renowned for delivering high drama, and that will be required if Liverpool and Eintracht Frankfurt are to progress to the last eight.
Both Liverpool and Eintracht face uphill battles to reach the quarter-finals having been comfortably beaten at home in the first legs of their respective last-16 ties.
Eintracht lost 2-0 to Napoli, while Liverpool have the task of overturning a 5-2 first-leg deficit against Real Madrid, the team who beat them in last year's final.
Although you can never count Liverpool out of any tie, the omens are squarely against either trailing side completing a comeback on Wednesday.
Here, Stats Perform previews the final two matches of the last 16 with the help of Opta numbers.
Napoli v Eintracht Frankfurt
Dominant in Serie A, Luciano Spalletti's Napoli already appear destined to claim their first Scudetto since 1990.
Should they finish the job at home in the second leg after victory in Frankfurt, they will make another piece of history.
Indeed, if they do progress, Napoli will reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time.
Hope for Eintracht comes from the 2011-12 season, the last time Napoli won a Champions League knockout match (3-1 v Chelsea). That was followed by a 4-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge and elimination from the competition.
But Napoli are unbeaten in their last 11 Champions League home games (W8 D3), and the odds of Eintracht stopping the hosts scoring appear slim.
Napoli have scored 22 goals in the Champions League this season – the last time an Italian side netted more in a single campaign (excluding goals in awarded victories, such as Milan in 2004-05) was in 2002-03, with Juventus scoring 30 and Inter netting 26. The form book favours Napoli turning Eintracht's already tough task into an impossible one.
Real Madrid v Liverpool
This will be Madrid's 300th match in the Champions League, at least 20 more than any other side since the 1992 rebrand, and Liverpool have a mountain to climb if they are to ruin the occasion.
Liverpool, of course, do have history of remarkable turnarounds in this competition. The Reds are one of just four sides to have progressed from a Champions League tie having lost the first leg by three or more goals, doing so against Barcelona in the 2018-19 semi-final (0-3 away, 4-0 home).
But Madrid are used to getting the job done at the Santiago Bernabeu. They have progressed from 26 of their previous 27 European Cup or Champions League knockout ties when winning the first leg away from home, with the exception being defeat to Ajax at this stage in 2018-19 (2-1 away, 1-4 at home).
If Liverpool are to deliver another second-leg performance for the ages, they will likely need to slow Vinicius Junior.
Vinicius has scored Champions League braces for Real Madrid against Liverpool at both Anfield and the Alfredo Di Stefano, Madrid's home while the Bernabeu was being renovated.
With this game taking place at the Bernabeu, he could become just the second player to score two or more goals against the same opponents in Champions League games at three different venues – after Cristiano Ronaldo against Juventus (Allianz Stadium, Bernabeu and Principality Stadium).
Having lost six of their last seven Champions League games against Madrid, Liverpool also have the issue of stopping Karim Benzema, who has scored 19 goals in his last 19 appearances in the knockout stages, while he is also the top scorer against Liverpool in European Cup and Champions League history (six).
Top seed Carlos Alcaraz moved into the Indian Wells Open quarter-finals after Jack Draper retired down 6-2 2-0 due to an abdominal injury in their last-16 clash on Tuesday.
Alcaraz was in control, winning the first set in 36 minutes before racing to a 2-0 lead inside 10 minutes before the Briton withdrew. Draper had battled the injury in the latter stages of Monday's win over Andy Murray.
Despite that, the Spaniard looked in good touch, setting up a quarter-final meeting with eighth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, who has a 3-0 head-to-head record against him.
"I felt the ball really well. I'm really happy with that part," Alcaraz said. "I would say I returned well, I hit great shots. I finished the match with confidence in my shots, to come into the next round with more confidence."
Auger-Aliassime saved six match points in a dramatic triumph over 17th seed Tommy Paul to reach the last eight, winning 3-6 6-3 7-6 (8-6) in two hours and 48 minutes.
The Canadian trailed 0-40 on serve at 5-6 in the deciding set before winning the next five points. He repeated that feat, down 3-6 in the tie-break, capitalising on his first match point. Auger-Aliassime hit 31 winners for the match, along with 51 unforced errors.
Fifth seed Daniil Medvedev fought back from a set down and a rolled ankle to progress past Alexander Zverev 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 in three hours and 10 minutes.
Medvedev rolled his ankle in the sixth game of the second set, going down in pain but played on, in his longest-ever three-set match. The victory is the Russian's 17th in a row. Zverev committed 50 unforced errors across the match.
The Russian will take on Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the last eight, with the Spaniard winning 6-3 6-4 over Chilean qualifier Cristian Garin.
Jannik Sinner cruised past Stanislas Wawrinka 6-1 6-4 in one hour and 39 minutes to move into the last eight where he will face reigning champion Taylor Fritz. The American won 6-4 6-3 over Hungary's Martin Fucsovics in one hour and 41 minutes.
British 10th seed Cameron Norrie will play 14th seed Frances Tiafoe in the other quarter-final, with the former winning 6-2 6-4 over the higher-ranked Andrey Rublev. Tiafoe won 6-4 6-4 over Alejandro Tabilo in 83 minutes for his 150th career win.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi won 75-71 victory over Southeast Missouri to advance to the NCAA tournament where they will face no.1 seed Alabama in the South Region.
The Islanders held off SEMA in the First Four matchup of no.16 seeds, having led 33-27 at half-time with Jalen Jackson top scoring with 22 points and six rebounds, while Isaac Mushila managed 15 points and 12 rebounds.
The triumph was a first-ever NCAA tournament game win for Texas, who were without guard Terrion Murdix due to a left knee injury.
SEMA had squared the game up at 64-64 with 3:07 to play but could not maintain the rage. Chris Harris top scored for the Redhawks with 23 points.
Pittsburgh also advanced via their First Four game, claiming their first victory at an NCAA tournament since 2014, getting past Mississippi State 60-59 in a see-sawing contest.
Jamarius Burton came up with a go-ahead two-point pointer with 10 seconds remaining and Pitt held on to clinch a clash with no.6 seed Iowa State in the Midwest Regional.
Shakeel Moore missed an open three-pointer to win the game for Mississippi, with D.J. Jeffries unable to convert the tip-in attempt.
Nelly Cummings top scored for the Panthers with 15 points with three rebounds and four assists, while Dashawn Davis also had 15 points with five assists for the Bulldogs.
Top seed Iga Swiatek will be hard top stop in her title defence at the Indian Wells Open after a straight-sets thrashing over Emma Raducanu in Tuesday's last 16.
The Polish world number one eased to victory 6-3 6-1 in one hour and 25 minutes over the 2021 US Open champion, who has enjoyed an improved run this week in California.
Swiatek offered few weaknesses in a strong disciplined display, converting four of 10 break points, including three in a one-way second set.
The three-time major winner won 88 per cent on her first serve while she was impressive on return and able to win the longer rallies. Swiatek hit 22-9 winners while Raducanu made 22-14 unforced errors.
Swiatek will take on Romania's Sorana Cirstea in the quarter-finals, after she upset fifth seed Caroline Garcia 6-4 4-6 7-5 in two hours and 24 minutes.
Reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina also progressed in that part of the draw, setting up a last-eight clash with unseeded Czech Karolina Muchova.
Rybakina won 6-3 6-0 over qualifier Varvara Gracheva in a similarly strong performance, needing only one hour and 21 minutes. Muchova beat compatriot Marketa Vondrousova 6-4 6-7 (2-7) 6-4 in two hours and 37 minutes.
Third seed Jessica Pegula was the major casualty of the day's play, going down 6-2 3-6 7-6 (13-11) to 16th seed Petra Kvitova in a dramatic two-hour-and-16-minutes clash.
Pegula had opened up a 5-3 third-set lead and squandered a match point on serve, before two-time Wimbledon winner Kvitova squared it up at 5-5. Kvitova, however, was broken immediately to offer Pegula another chance to serve out the match again, which she was unable to take.
The American generated another three match points in the tie-break but could not convert before the Czech eventually prevailed on her own fourth match point, with the deciding set lasting one hour and 12 minutes.
Kvitova will face seventh seed Maria Sakkari in the quarters after she triumphed in a lengthy clash 6-4 5-7 6-3 over Karolina Pliskova, lasting two hours and 43 minutes.
Second seed Aryna Sabalenka also needed three sets to beat Barbora Krejcikova 6-3 2-6 6-4 in two hours and four minutes. Krejcikova had been responsible for Sabalenka's lone loss this season, in a 15-1 year.
Sabalenka, who won this year's Australian Open, will face sixth seed Coco Gauff who defeated Rebecca Peterson 6-3 1-6 6-4. Gauff won the last four games for victory, having trailed 4-2 in the deciding set.
The Milwaukee Bucks underlined their NBA title favouritism as they reached 50 wins for the season with a commanding 116-104 road victory over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.
Giannis Antetokounmpo backed up Monday's 40-point return against the Sacramento Kings with 36 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists at the Footprint Center.
The Bucks have won 20 of their past 22 games, including a 15-game winning streak during that stretch, while the Suns have now lost three consecutive games.
Milwaukee's record is 50-19, pulling clear of the Boston Celtics (47-22) in second in the Eastern Conference, while the 37-31 Suns remain among the mayhem in the tight Western Conference playoffs race.
The Suns had rallied from a 57-48 half-time deficit to take the lead in the fourth quarter but the Bucks steadied, with Antetokounmpo's block on Devin Booker's two-point attempt among the highlights.
Bucks center Brook Lopez added 21 points with 10 rebounds, while Jrue Holiday chipped in with 12 points, six rebounds and five assists.
Booker top scored for the Suns, still missing Kevin Durant due to an ankle injury, with 30 points on 13-of-27 shooting, while Chris Paul added 11 points with eight assists. Phoenix only made eight three-pointers for the game.
Nuggets fall to fourth straight defeat
The Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets slumped to their fourth straight defeat despite a third-quarter rally, going down 125-110 to the Toronto Raptors.
Fred VanVleet scored 36 points on 13-of-22 shooting including eight triples as the Raptors flew out of the blocks with a franchise-record 49-point first quarter, improving their record to 33-26.
The Nuggets fall to 46-23 amid their slump, with Nikola Jokic scoring 28 points with eight rebounds and seven assists, while Michael Porter Jr added 23 points with five three-pointers.
Lakers hit franchise record in key win over Pels
Anthony Davis produced a bounce-back display after his "terrible" showing two nights ago with 35 points and 17 rebounds as the Los Angeles Lakers won 123-108 over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Malik Beasley added 24 points, shooting seven-of-12 from beyond the arc, as the Lakers moved closer to .500 with a 34-35 record to boost their playoffs hopes.
Beasley's three-point shooting helped the Lakers achieve a franchise record for threes made in a half, with 15 as a team before half-time.
All-Star Luka Doncic has been ruled out for a third straight game for the Dallas Mavericks as he continues to recover from a thigh injury sustained last week.
Doncic will miss the Mavs' game against the 17-50 San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday with a left thigh strain.
Fellow All-Star guard Kyrie Irving is listed as questionable due to right foot soreness, having missed the past two games as well.
The Mavs have lost those past two games, both against the Memphis Grizzlies, without their star duo, putting pressure on their playoffs hopes.
Dallas have fallen below .500 with a 34-35 record, slipping down to eighth in the tight Western Conference, having lost six of their past eight games.
Christian Wood (foot) and Tim Hardaway Jr (calf) are also listed as questionable for Wednesday's game, potentially further depleting the Mavs' offensive options.
Doncic avoided serious injury after an MRI on his thigh came up clear last Thursday having exited Wednesday's defeat against the New Orleans Pelicans due to the injury.
It had been expected that the Slovenian would return to the court one the discomfort and pain subsided but his prolonged absence will not help their playoffs aspirations.
Doncic is ranked second in the NBA for points per game at 33.0, behind only Joel Embiid (33.4) this season.
The Carolina Panthers are set to draft their quarterback of the future next month, and they have identified the veteran who will serve as the placeholder for the number one overall pick.
Carolina agreed to a one-year, $10million deal with Andy Dalton, according to multiple reports.
While it remains to be seen whom the Panthers will select after trading up to the first overall pick, Dalton gives them an experienced and reliable signal-caller who can hold the fort if the quarterback they take is not ready to start as a rookie.
Dalton spent last season with the New Orleans Saints and was quietly impressive in a campaign that saw him start 14 games.
He completed 66.7 per cent of his passes for 2,871 yards, 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Those numbers do not reflect the accuracy he demonstrated. He delivered an accurate, well-thrown ball on 86.5 per cent of his passes, according to Stats Perform data, the second-best ratio among quarterbacks with at least 100 attempts.
The keys to the Panthers' offense will at some point be handed to one of C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young, Anthony Richardson or Will Levis. Dalton provides Carolina a quarterback who can either keep the seat warm or serve as a high-floor backup if the new face of the franchise quickly ascends to the starting job.
The Philadelphia Eagles are reportedly looking to trade one cornerback in Darius Slay, but they will hold on to their other starter at the position after agreeing a deal with James Bradberry.
According to multiple reports, the Eagles have agreed a three-year, $38million deal with Bradberry, who enjoyed a stellar first season in Philadelphia in 2022.
Bradberry tallied the third-most pass breakups in the NFL last season, registering 17, and also intercepted three passes as he helped the Eagles reach Super Bowl LVII.
Per Stats Perform data, he finished 15th among all starting corners with a combined open percentage-allowed across man and zone coverage of 25.3.
His season ended in disappointment as the Eagles lost the Super Bowl 38-35 to the Kansas City Chiefs, with Bradberry flagged for a key defensive holding penalty that allowed the Chiefs to kill the clock before kicking the game-winning field goal.
Bradberry will now attempt to help the Eagles go one better than last season, and, on the other side of the ball, they look to have improved their much-vaunted run game for their 2023 push.
The Eagles also agreed to a one-year deal with running back Rashaad Penny, seemingly spelling the end of free agent Miles Sanders' time with the team.
Last season, Penny led all running backs with at least 50 rush attempts with a yards per carry average of 6.1. Sanders averaged 4.8 yards per rush.
Penny was also the best in the NFL in yards per carry on runs where there was a disruption by a defender. He averaged 4.3 yards per rush on such attempts, while Sanders averaged just 2.7.
However, Penny has started only 11 games in his NFL career and has never finished a full season. For Penny to be an upgrade in the Philadelphia backfield, he'll need to show the kind of durability that has so far evaded him during his pro career.
Pep Guardiola believes he will always be a "failure" in the Champions League, but his biggest regret relates to Hollywood actress Julia Roberts.
Guardiola's Manchester City are into the quarter-finals of Europe's elite club competition for a sixth straight season following an 8-1 aggregate win over RB Leipzig that included five Erling Haaland goals in the 7-0 second-leg success.
Tuesday's performance was the kind that again establishes City as contenders, although they are yet to win the Champions League, losing in the final in 2021.
Guardiola's last European title was as Barcelona coach, coming up short with both Bayern Munich and City, yet he explained how missing out on a visit from Pretty Woman star Roberts puts this disappointment into perspective.
"I'm a failure in the Champions League, I'm sorry," he said. "I'm going to explain a secret. Whatever happens this year in the Champions League, even if we win this Champions League or win three in a row, I will be a failure.
"I have three idols in my life: Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Julia Roberts. These are my three idols. For obvious reasons, Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods deserve it, and Julia Roberts as well.
"Julia Roberts, years ago, came to Manchester. Not in the 1990s, when Alex Ferguson win titles, titles, titles and titles. She came in the period when we were better than United, these four or five years.
"And she went to visit Man United. She didn't come to see us. So, even if I win the Champions League, it cannot compare to the fact Julia Roberts came to Manchester and did not come to see us. My idol.
"That's why no matter what happens, even if I win the Champions League, it will not make up for the disappointment I had."
Erling Haaland's hunger proved too much for RB Leipzig in their crushing Champions League last-16 exit to Manchester City, per Marco Rose.
The Bundesliga outfit were condemned to a 7-0 defeat and an 8-1 aggregate exit as the Norway international ran rampant at the Etihad Stadium.
A five-goal haul for Haaland saw him tear through the Leipzig defence with a succession of close-range finishes, to send the hosts to the quarter-finals.
As the coach who oversaw the striker's arrival at Salzburg four years ago, Rose is well-acquainted with the attacker, and concurred his side simply didn't have the answers to stop him in the end.
"I know Erling very well," he said. "I know his qualities. When he is close to the goal, he wants to grab one. He scored five [and] we never managed to get into the game.
"He has had a great [game]. He scored goals with his foot and head, won second balls, [made] deep runs. It looked really simple. He took the ball from the referee. That tells you it was special for him."
Leipzig had managed to hold City to a draw in the first leg, eking out a 1-1 result that gave them a potential foothold for an upset in this return fixture.
Rose acknowledged his side never got off the ground against their far superior hosts in the end, and took full responsibility for their dismal performance.
"We conceded the goals in a manner that makes this [a] very bitter [result]," he added. "City more than deserved their win.
"We were especially bad when it came to defending inside the penalty area. [That] we did so in a last-16 game in the Champions League [is appalling].
"They changed a few things in their pressing compared to the second half in Leipzig and this is something we had not expected."
Simone Inzaghi saluted Inter's unity after the Nerazzurri kept Porto at bay to secure their place in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Inter are through to the last eight of Europe's premier club competition for the first time in 12 years, after a goalless draw at Estadio do Dragao sealed a 1-0 aggregate victory over Sergio Conceicao's side.
The visitors survived a late flurry of chances as Porto struck the woodwork twice in quick succession through Mehdi Taremi and Marko Grujic, while Denzel Dumfries blocked Ivan Mercano on the line.
And Inzaghi heaped praise on his players' efforts as they held out to prevail.
"We played a great game, the group came together and played a great match," he told Mediaset. "[We were] excellent first half. In the last part of the match, we suffered all together – honour to this group.
"In football, luck counts relatively, [but] in the two legs, we deserved the passage to the quarter-finals. Now, it's right to enjoy a feat that has been missing for a long time."
Henrikh Mkhitaryan also paid tribute to his team-mates, and the midfielder believes Inter have a genuine chance of embarking on a deep run.
When asked if they could go all the way, he told Sky Sports: "You can always dream, we want to do our best. It's a good opportunity, Inter haven't reached the quarter-finals for a long time, but we have to play with our heads.
"We knew it would be very tough. I want to congratulate my team-mates because we fought until the end. I hope this qualification will give us the push for the next games."
Meanwhile, Matteo Darmian was pleased with the way the Nerazzurri responded to their surprise 2-1 defeat by lowly Spezia in Serie A on Friday.
"We entered the field with the right desire and malice," the defender added. "We came from a bad defeat; many things were said. It was the perfect evening to make up for it.
"We were able to suffer at the right times, and we brought home the result. An evening like tonight gives us so much confidence and awareness."
Pep Guardiola explained why Erling Haaland will not be the difference between Manchester City's previous Champions League failures and a first title.
City have been repeatedly frustrated in the Champions League but are through to the quarter-finals for a sixth straight year after dominating RB Leipzig, led by Haaland.
The City number nine hit five on Tuesday in a 7-0 second-leg win in the last 16, securing an 8-1 aggregate victory.
Haaland broke a series of records in the process, including moving to 39 goals for the season – a new club record.
But these unprecedented goalscoring feats will not be enough to make City champions of Europe if they do not defend better than in previous seasons, Guardiola insisted.
Asked if Haaland's involvement could be pivotal, the City manager told BT Sport: "I don't think so. The reason why is we conceded a lot of goals that we gave to the opponent.
"We scored four goals against Real Madrid, we scored six goals against Monaco, we scored four goals against Tottenham, and all the time we were out, because we conceded the goals. We could absolutely avoid it.
"Right now, we defended really well. The goals we have scored all the time in all the seasons.
"But of course having someone like Erling, like Julian [Alvarez], like we had with Sergio [Aguero] before or Gabriel [Jesus], who has the instinct to score the goals... in this competition, in one moment, he can score. It's important."
Haaland scored five goals from eight shots, all of which hit the target, before being substituted with 27 minutes to play, denied the chance to become the first man to net a double hat-trick in the Champions League.
"It was five in 60 minutes, no more than that. If he played 90 minutes... I don't know," Guardiola said.
"He's an incredible guy. He has the power, the mentality, he's a serial winner."
Erling Haaland claimed his five-goal haul all blurred together after his record-breaking performance steered Manchester City into the Champions League quarter-finals.
The Norway international fired Pep Guardiola's hosts to a 7-0 victory over RB Leipzig at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday in the second leg of their last-16 tie.
With a 7-1 aggregate victory overall, City's dominant efforts saw them help their striker to 39 goals across all competitions for the campaign, breaking the club's single-season record for an individual after almost a century.
But pressed afterwards to pick out his favourite finish of the match, Haaland said he could not recall any of them individually after his heroics in a freewheeling display.
"It's all a bit blurry in my head," he told BT Sport. "I don't remember the goals. I just remember shooting and [not] thinking. I'm so tired after the celebrations.
"A lot of the goals, I didn't think. I was just wanting to get the ball in the back of the net. The same with the second goal, with the third goal, with every goal.
"I think a lot of it is being quick in the mind and trying to do the right thing [in the moment]. A lot of it is in the head, I think."
Haaland exited the game in the 63rd minute as Guardiola opted to rotate key men ahead of an FA Cup quarter-final with Burnley on Saturday.
The 22-year-old acknowledged he would have loved to stay on and hunt a sixth of the game, revealing he told his manager as much as he was replaced.
"I told him when I went off I would love to score a double hat-trick," he added. "But what can you do?"
City's victory matched their previous best in the Champions League, a 7-0 win over Schalke in 2019, and Haaland suggested his arrival could finally help them clinch the sought-after trophy that has thus far eluded them.
"To give a statement that we can score seven goals in this competition, it is an amazing feeling," he added to CBS. "The club wants to win the Champions League.
"They have won the Premier League four times in the last five years. They didn't bring me to win the Premier League, they know how to do that."
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