After a thrilling round of 16 that saw two Premier League clubs exit, Real Madrid exert their dominance over Schalke and Zlatan Ibrahimovic ‘Dare to Dream,’ the Champions League quarter-finals is upon us with some exciting fixtures on the horizon. For the first time in Champions League history, all eight teams who finished top of their group have reached the final eight of the competition. This should prove to bring enthralling fixtures to the round as no team will be an easy out. See the exciting draw after the break …
Defending European Champions Bayern Munich advanced to the quarter-finals after knocking out London outfit Arsenal for the second time in two years in the round of 16. Last year’s runners-up, Borussia Dortmund, made their way into the last eight after a thrilling affair with Russian side Zenit St Petersberg. Meanwhile, La Liga sees three teams advance into the final eight – the most of any league – as Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid eased their way past Manchester City, Schalke and AC Milan respectively, with Real Madrid looking like tournament favourites after thrashing their Bundesliga opponents by an aggregate of 9-2.
The Premier League only sees two sides reach the final eight, with Manchester United needing a miraculous comeback to fend off pesky Greek side Olympiakos and Jose Mourinho’s side displaying the tough style against Galatasaray that has typified teams managed by the ‘Special One.’ Ligue 1 is represented by mega-rich French outfit PSG after they knocked out Bayer Leverkusen, while Serie A is the only one of the five major European leagues that is not represented in the quarter-finals of the competition.
The first leg of the quarter-finals will be played on the 1st and 2nd of April, with the second leg coming a week later on the 8th and 9th of April. Here is the draw in full:
Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid
Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund
PSG vs Chelsea
Manchester United vs Bayern Munich