Champions League draw: Real Madrid to face Manchester City
Champions League draw: Real Madrid to face Manchester City-Getty ImagesManchester City has been drawn against Real Madrid in a highly anticipated Champions League quarterfinal match.
Real Madrid will be out for vengeance after losing 5-1 on aggregate to City in last season’s quarterfinals, with Pep Guardiola’s side going on to win the trophy for the first time in the club’s history.
Meanwhile, Harry Kane will return to north London for the first time since leaving Tottenham for Bayern Munich last summer, after the Bavarians were drawn against Arsenal in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Kane often punished Arsenal while at Spurs, and Bayern will be hoping for more of the same in what has been a rollercoaster season for the squad, despite the England international’s impressive goal count since joining the German side.
In what is expected to be Kylian Mbappé’s final season with Paris Saint-Germain, the French champion will face a Barcelona club that will say goodbye to manager Xavi at the end of the current season.
Finally, Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, undoubtedly the two underdogs in the quarterfinals, will compete in one of the most evenly matched ties for a spot in the semifinals.
Atletico last reached the semifinals in 2017, while Dortmund hasn’t advanced past the fourth round since losing to Bayern in the final in 2013. Dortmund coach Edin Terzic described Atletico as “a strong opponent, which is especially a little monster in knockout games.”
Despite their frequent meetings, the Real Madrid-Manchester City games will be the main draw. City also defeated Madrid in the round of 16 in 2020.
“We need to remember that we beat them in the semifinals last season and played at home in the second leg,” Man City director of football Txiki Begiristain said, referring to a 4-0 win in May following a 1-1 draw in Madrid.
UEFA also made the semifinals draw, ensuring that Mbappé and PSG will not face Real Madrid—the team he is anticipated to join in the summer—uuntil the final.
That draw probably placed the four best teams in the same half. When the new Champions League system is implemented next season, the two strongest clubs from the extended eight-game first phase will be seeded in a tennis-style knockout bracket and may not meet until the final.
This season, the winner of Real Madrid and Manchester City—tthe only sides to win all six group stage games—wwill face Arsenal or Bayern Munich away in the first leg.
“We certainly have the most difficult path ahead of us that you can imagine,” Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel stated.
The first and second legs will be held on April 9 and 16.
Draw in full.
Arsenal versus Bayern Munich
Atletico Madrid versus Borussia Dortmund
Real Madrid vs. Manchester City
Paris Saint-Germain versus Barcelona
Semi-final draw
Atlético or Dortmund versus PSG or Barcelona.
Arsenal or Bayern versus Real Madrid or Manchester City
Europa League draw.
The Europa League draw was also held on Friday, with some major teams participating in European football’s second-tier competition.
Liverpool will undoubtedly have a more difficult test against Atalanta than it did in the 11-2 aggregate thrashing of Sparta Prague in the round of 16, but Jürgen Klopp’s side will remain the overwhelming favorite to advance.
There is also a major clash between Italian giants AC Milan and Roma, both Champions League semifinalists in the last six years, as the Giallorossi try to improve on last season’s final defeat to Sevilla on penalties.
The first and second legs will be held on April 11 and 18.
