As the great Alex Ferguson used to say, it's squeaky bum time.
Friday marks the day of the European club competition's quarterfinal draw and this weekend is the final international break before the final run-in for the league campaigns.
So who's in it to win and who's gonna be watching from the sidelines?
Let's start with the Champions League, because this goes to print before the Europa League last eight were decided on Thursday night.
Let's do this! 👊#UCLdraw | #UCL pic.twitter.com/IwvUyk0HWu
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 17, 2023
In the hat for Europe's biggest prize is Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Napoli, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Inter, Milan and Benfica.
Holders Real and Bayern certainly look like they have the hele alles to go all the way, with Chelsea, Benfica and the Italian trio being the outsiders.
But the big shark in the pool is City and you have to wonder if this is going to be their year.
European Golden Boot leader Erling Haaland is the man of the moment for Pep Guardiola as he looks to finally claim his third title. He hasn't done it since leaving Barcelona at the end of 2012.
In Haaland he may have found the missing piece to the puzzle.
The 22-year-old said it himself this week when he declared that City signed him to win the European Cup.
Speaking after his five-goal haul against Leipzig, he says: “Of course the club want to win the Champions League.
FULL-TIME | Through to the #UCL quarter-finals! 💥
— Manchester City (@ManCity) March 14, 2023
🔵 7-0 ⚫️ #ManCity pic.twitter.com/Nzgp34Wzua
“They didn’t bring me in to win the Premier League because they already know how to win it.
“So, you can read between the lines. I’m here to try to help the club develop even more and to win the Champions League for the first time.”
The monkey on their back is now a gorilla. There is just no way Haaland hasn’t put a moerse target with a homing beacon on City’s voorkop after that.
It's time to Haal uit en wys.
While the Norwegian has got his goal ratio back to over one a game again this season, the rest of his teammates have been strangely subdued.
Ysters like Kevin de Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan haven't been at their best.
And it's down to some tactical tweaks again as Pep seems to have found a new role for Bernardo Silva.
Usually a player who makes things happen in and around the box, Silva is playing a deeper role. And that's super weird, to me at least.
With the likes of Gundogan, Rodri and De Bruyne operating in the middle of the park, there should be enough control in that area.
Five from @ErlingHaaland along with strikes from @KevinDeBruyne and @IlkayGuendogan secured qualification in the #UCL! 💪
— Manchester City (@ManCity) March 16, 2023
Watch all the action from victory over RB Leipzig 👇 pic.twitter.com/9o1m3szvfu
That plan has made them stodgy when I've watched them.
Pinning back teams and working them with player positional rotations has been the go-to style for most of Pep's reign, but it ain't the same this time.
And this is where it comes back to Haaland.
He is best when he is lurking inside the area and not joining with the play too much. Look at the way he gobbled up those “poacher’s goals” this week
He is also unstoppable when he played in behind the defence to run at the keeper.
So it’s wild that City, or rather Pep, isn’t about to sacrifice control for Haaland to run riot.
I'm starting to think that Pep should let go of the reins a bietjie and play with the handbrake off.
Getting the ball into Haaland early in the box and unleashing him to run at defences brings out the best in him and De Bruyne and pacy attackers like Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez.
If Pep wants to get his hands on the trophy he can't overthink it like he has in the past.
At Bayern he was accused of tinkering too much. And who can forget his crazy decision to drop Fernandinho in the final against Chelsea?
He should pick his battles more carefully, given that last season's exit to Real came because they just didn't capitalise on their chances before Rodrygo's late sucker punches.
And while I’m not saying the Champions League is City’s to lose, with Real and Bayern their only genuine threats, failing to win it this time will be another missed opportunity.
Anyway, spare a thought for Liverpool and Tottenham, who crashed out at the first knockout stage.
They both went out without a fight.
Now all they have left is the battle for fourth in the Premier League and return to the Champions League.
Jurgen Klopp and Antonio Conte are both champion coaches - both have a Prem title - and it’s going to be interesting to see who get their manne to up for one final push.