The draw for the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League took place on Friday, creating a mix of exciting showdowns.
The draw features the winners from the Round of 16: Arsenal, Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern, Dortmund, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, and Real Madrid.
The two heavyweights of soccer as of now, Real Madrid and Manchester City, are set to play each other. Both are fan favorites to win the competition, which will lead to a very heated matchup. City got its spot with an overwhelming 6-2 aggregate win against Copenhagen, whereas Madrid showed some struggle to find their spot with a 2-1 aggregate to RB Leipzig.
City beat Madrid in the semifinals last season, on their way to winning the Champions League for the first time, and they are seeking to keep the title. However, Madrid, looking to earn its 15th title, poses some fierce competition. Either way, one of the two is expected to make it all the way to finals.
PSG are set to play Barcelona in another heavyweight clash. PSG had a relatively easy win over Real Sociedad, and Barcelona seems to have picked themselves up when they won over Napoli. PSG are seeking their first title win, whereas Barca is back in the quarterfinals after four not-so-successful seasons. Barcelona, missing some key players, will definitely pose a rough battle for Mbappé’s team.
Arsenal is set to face Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich. Arsenal found their spot after winning on penalties to Porto. This is their first time back to the quarters in 14 years. Bayern, on the other hand, is out of the German Cup and seems to be showing some struggles. Arsenal may be the better bet, as they are reigning on top of the table in the Premier League as of now.
Atlético Madrid is matched with Dortmund, and neither team is having a fantastic season, both playing fast and loose. Atlético’s penalty win against Inter Milan was a very exciting match, getting them into the quarters, whereas Griezmann’s Dortmund had a fairly easy entry against PSV. The game looks to be a fairly exciting tie with teams of equal caliber.
The winner of Dortmund vs. Atletico Madrid faces the winner of PSG vs. Barcelona in the semifinals. And on the other side, the winner of Real Madrid vs. Manchester City will face the winner of Arsenal and Bayern.
The first legs of the quarterfinals will be on April 9 and 10, followed by the second legs on April 16 and 17. The winners will go on to the semifinals on April 30 and May 1.
