Man City draw Real Madrid in Champions League quarters, Barca face PSG

Barcelona take on Paris St Germain after the draw was held at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon

Express Desk

১৬ মার্চ ২০২৪, ০১:০৬

Champions League - Draw For Quarter Final, Semi Final and Final - UEFA Headquarters, Nyon, Switzerland - Mar 15, 2024 Former footballer Mikel John Obi opens a final ball during the draw

Defending champions Manchester City will play record winners Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals while Barcelona take on Paris St Germain after the draw was held at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon on Friday.

Real Madrid are 14-times champions but Carlo Ancelotti's side were soundly beaten 5-1 on aggregate by Pep Guardiola's City in the semi-finals last year.

Paris St Germain, who are seeking their first Champions League title, will take on Barcelona while Atletico Madrid face Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund, which means all three Spanish teams have the opportunity to reach the semi-finals.

This may also be Kylian Mbappe's last chance to win the title with PSG with the French forward set to leave the Ligue 1 club at the end of the season. PSG reached the final in 2020 where they lost to Bayern Munich.

Arsenal returned to the quarter-finals for the first time in 14 years and they play Bayern Munich which will give the German club's star striker Harry Kane -- who has scored 36 goals this season -- another crack at his former north London rivals.

Kane has played Arsenal 19 times in all competitions and scored 14 goals. The former Tottenham Hotspur striker is the joint-top scorer in the Champions League this season alongside Antoine Griezmann, Erling Haaland and Mbappe with six goals.

Six-times champions Bayern have been Arsenal's biggest nemesis in the competition, with the German side triumphing in all four knockout ties between the two sides.

The last time they met, Bayern beat Arsenal 10-2 on aggregate in the last 16 in 2017. Bayern have won each of the last three meetings 5-1.

However, Bayern will not have their fans in the away end due to a UEFA ban after their supporters threw fireworks onto the pitch during their 3-1 win at Lazio earlier this month.

The path to the semi-finals was also set, with City and Premier League leaders Arsenal on a collision course if they advance.

The quarter-final draw was the last in the current format with UEFA adopting an all-new format from the 2024-25 season onwards.

The Champions League final will be held on June 1 at the 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium in London.

QUARTER-FINALS

Quarter final 1: Arsenal v Bayern Munich

Quarter final 2: Atletico Madrid v Borussia Dortmund

Quarter final 3: Real Madrid v Manchester City

Quarter final 4: Paris St Germain v Barcelona

SEMI-FINALS

Semi-final 1: Winner of Q/F 2 v Winner of Q/F 4

Semi-final 1: Winner of Q/F 1 v Winner of Q/F 3

* Teams mentioned first will play the first leg at home