Champions League
Champions League draw: replay of last year’s semi-final, Mbappé against Barcelona! How do the quarter-final pairings look?
The Champions League draw for the quarter-finals of the current season took place on Friday at noon. Only the participants of the elite five European leagues have advanced to this stage of the competition, so what does the composition of the quarter-final pairings look like after the draw?
On Friday at noon, the Champions League draw for the quarter-finals of the current edition took place. Only the participants of the elite five European leagues have advanced to this stage of the competition. So what does the composition of the quarter-final pairings look like after the draw?
Champions League draw has determined a repeat of last year’s semi-final
The current edition of the European Cup is slowly heading towards its final. After the eight-final battles, the quarter-final draw took place at noon on Friday. And we will see some very attractive pairings.
It must be added that despite last year, when Benfica Lisbon from Portugal reached this stage of the most prestigious football competition in the world, only teams from the elite five European leagues made it to the quarter-finals this year.
These are Arsenal, Manchester City (both Premier League), Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund (both Bundesliga), Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Barcelona (all La Liga) and Paris Saint-Germain representing Ligue 1.
Then, in the quarter-finals, the Italian league representative Inter Milan is missing due to Atlético’s elimination on penalties. Either way, fans can look forward to some very attractive duels in the quarter-finals.
Quarterfinal fights will offer attractive matches
Among the most attractive ones is the replay of last year’s semi-final between Real Madrid and Manchester City, the later Champions League winner.
Arsenal, who are considered the dark horse of the competition, will challenge Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals. The PSG-Barcelona duel will be very attractive, as the world’s extras – Robert Lewandowski and Kylian Mbappé – will face each other. After Inter, Atlético will try to knock out Borussia Dortmund.
The first matches kick off on 9 April, with Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid starting their duels on home soil. The rematches will of course follow a week later.
Then, as the BBC also points out, the semi-finals have also been drawn, with the first matches to be played on 30 April and 1 May. The rematches will be played a week later on 7 and 8 May. The better of Atlético/Dortmund will play PSG or Barcelona, while the better of Arsenal/Bayern will play City or Real.
Source: UEFA, X
