UCL quarterfinal draw: Demons come back to haunt Arsenal as they face Bayern again
The quarterfinal draw for the UEFA Champions League has been made, and it presents some very interesting ties. FC Bayern has been drawn against Arsenal again, and Manchester City, for the third year in a row, will face Real Madrid on a Champions League stage.
Bayern knocked out Arsenal the last two times they faced the Bavarian club in the competition, beating the North London side 4-1 and 10-2 on aggregate.
All eight rounds of the Champions League Round of 16 have been played, and each round has produced one winner. These winners will move on to the next round to compete for a place in the semifinals.
The quarterfinalists, also known as the last eight, can begin to dream of Champions League glory if they get through their next round, but it will not be easy. The quarterfinal draw took place on Friday, March 15. Here are all the fixtures:
Arsenal vs FC Bayern
Arsenal got past FC Porto in the Round of 16, through penalties, after both teams were tied 1-1 on aggregate. Captain Martin Odegaard and forward Bukayo Saka are key players for the club, and with them flying high in the Premier League, Arsenal fans will hope they can do the same in the Champions League. Bayern gave their fans a scare when they lost the first leg of their Round of 16 tie against Lazio, but they won the second leg convincingly to get through. Harry Kane is having a record-breaking season in the Bundesliga, and Bayern fans would hope he shows some of that brilliance in the Champions League as well. The first leg of this tie will take place on April 9.
Real Madrid vs Manchester City
Real Madrid scraped past RB Leipzig in the Round of 16 tie. Jude Bellingham has been everything this season for the Galacticos, but they need him to do more heroics in the Champions League as well. Real Madrid is known for almost always going deep into the competition. Man City flogged FC Copenhagen 6-2 on aggregate in the Round of 16. Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland, and Rodri are key players. As the title holders, many football fans are expecting Man City to get to the final again, especially with Pep Guardiola at the helm. The first leg of this tie will take place on April 9.
Atletico Madrid vs Dortmund
Atletico got past Inter Milan on penalties after playing a 2-2 aggregate draw. Antoine Griezmann is key for the Spanish club, and the fans will hope to get past the quarterfinals at least, but it won’t be easy. Dortmund settled the Round of 16 tie at home, winning the home leg over PSV 2-0. Dortmund fans will look to key players like Donyell Malen, Sebastien Haller, and Jadon Sancho to come up with the goods in the quarterfinals. The first leg of this tie will take place on April 10.
Paris Saint-Germain vs FC Barcelona
PSG beat Real Sociedad 4-1 on aggregate in the Round of 16 to get here. Kylian Mbappe is a key player that PSG fans would hope can push the club as far into the competition as possible, maybe even win it. FC Barcelona got past SSC Napoli in the Round of 16, winning the tie 4-2 on aggregate. Barca fans will look to Robert Lewandowski to continue scoring important goals for the club when it needs it. Xavi has said he won’t stay as manager even if Barcelona wins the Champions League. The first leg of this tie will take place on April 10.
