|
The UEFA Champions League draw for quarter-finals concluded on Friday setting up blockbuster ties with defending champions Manchester City taking on Real Madrid.
Both teams have produced some enticing performances in the past two seasons which has made this clash much more anticipated than others. This will mark the third consecutive time that both teams will be facing each other in a knockout game. Last year Manchester City overcame Real Madrid in the semi-finals with a dominating performance in both legs to seal their place in the final. They went on to clinch their maiden UCL trophy with a 1-0 victory over Inter Milan. In 2022, Manchester City looked destined to reach their maiden UCL final but Real Madrid turned the tides in the final moments of the game to seal their spot in the final against Liverpool. In other quarter-final clashes, Arsenal will host German Giants Bayern Munich for the first time since 2017. Their last meeting was in the Round of 16 which saw Bayern prevail over the Gunners with an aggregate 10-2 victory over two legs. Under the leadership of Mikel Arteta, Arsenal will be looking to emerge victorious over Bayern Munich who have the option to rely on former Tottenham striker Harry Kane. The UCL quarter-final stage will also see Kylian Mbappe in action for Paris Saint Germain against FC Barcelona. The last time both teams encountered each other in the 2016-17 season produced a spectacle as Barcelona arguably produced the best comeback in the history of the competition. Under the leadership of Lionel Messi, Barcelona made a stunning comeback to overcome the 4-0 deficit in the first leg and win the second leg by 6-1. The last three goals were scored in the final seven minutes of the game producing a spectacle that had hardly been witnessed. Barcelona league rival Atletico Madrid will face Dortmund in the quarter-final after overcoming a 1-0 first-leg deficit against Inter Milan and making a comeback with a 3-0 victory in the second leg. The winner of the Arsenal and Bayern game will face the winner of Manchester City and Real Madrid in the semi-final. The winning team between PSG and Barcelona will face the winner of Atletico Madrid and Dortmund. The first leg of the quarter-finals will take place on April 9 and 10. The second leg will be held on April 16 and 17. The first leg of the semi-final will be held on April 30 and May 1 and the second leg of the semi-final will take place on May 7 and 8. (ANI)
|
