Manchester City were today handed the toughest possible route to defending their Champions League crown.
Pep Guardiola’s men will have to overcome 14-time European champions Real Madrid in the quarter-finals with the winners then facing either Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the semis.
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City met Madrid at the last four stage last season, drawing 1-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu before a rousing 4-0 win at the Etihad. They then went on to beat Inter in the final to land the trophy for the first time.
City will fancy their chances of doing similar this time round, although Carlo Ancelotti’s Madrid will be desperate for revenge.
Should they progress, an all-Premier League semi-final may lie in wait.
Bayern have been underwhelming this season – coach Thomas Tuchel has already announced he will be leaving in the summer – with the Champions League their last realistic hope of silverware following an early exit from the DFB-Pokal while they trail Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen by 10 points in the Bundesliga.
The first leg against Arsenal will also see former Tottenham striker Harry Kane make a return to North London.
Atletico, who needed penalties to get past Inter on Wednesday night, will be confident of progressing past Borussia Dortmund while the final quarter-final clash sees a repeat of one of the most famous Champions League ties of all time.
PSG led Barcelona 4-0 from the first leg of their round of 16 meeting in 2017 only for Luis Enrique’s men to hit back and win the second leg 6-1 – Sergi Roberto scoring a dramatic 95th-minute winner.
Draw in full
Quarter-finals
Arsenal v Bayern Munich
Atletico Madrid v Borussia Dortmund
Real Madrid v Manchester City
Paris Saint-Germain v Barcelona
Semi-finals
Atletico Madrid or Borussia Dortmund v Paris Saint-Germain or Barcelona
Arsenal or Bayern Munich v Real Madrid or Manchester City
Quarter-finals confirmed ✅#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/s7PpLFP0Bn
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 15, 2024
The quarter-final first legs will be played on April 9 and 10, with the second legs the following week. The semi-finals take place on April 30 and May 1, with the return legs on May 7 and 8. Wembley will host the final on Saturday, June 1.
