The Champions League quarter-final draw has been made, and it has thrown up some mouth-watering ties. Chelsea will face off against holders Real Madrid, while Premier League leaders Manchester City have been drawn against German giants Bayern Munich.
If Chelsea and Manchester City come through these tough ties, they will face each other in the semi-finals. The other two quarter-finals will see AC Milan, who knocked out Tottenham in the last 16, take on Serie A leaders Napoli, and Inter Milan go head-to-head with Benfica.
Real Madrid eliminated Chelsea at this stage of last season’s competition on their way to lifting the trophy for the 14th time. This season, it looks an even more daunting task for Chelsea, with the team languishing in 10th place in the Premier League after an underwhelming campaign.
Manchester City, managed by Pep Guardiola, will take on his former club Bayern Munich in another enticing affair. The Citizens will be looking to finally land their first-ever Champions League triumph, and will be relying heavily on star striker Erling Haaland, who has already scored 10 goals in the competition.
Napoli are the competition’s dark horses this term after a sensational campaign that has seen them fly 18 points clear in the Italian top flight. They will head into their tie as favourites against Milan, who have struggled to replicate their title-winning form from last season, but did claim the scalp of Spurs in the last 16.
Inter Milan are also up against a tricky opponent in Benfica, who are the leaders in the Portuguese Primeira Liga and dismantled Club Brugge 7-1 on aggregate in the previous round.
The semi-final draw has already been made, with AC Milan or Napoli set to face Inter Milan or Benfica, while Real Madrid or Chelsea will take on Manchester City or Bayern Munich.
These are some of the toughest draws in recent years, and it promises to be an exciting run-in to the final stages of the competition. All eyes will be on these top teams as they battle it out for the prestigious Champions League title.
Champions League quarter-final draw
Real Madrid v Chelsea
Inter Milan v Benfica
Manchester City v Bayern Munich
AC Milan v Napoli
Champions League semi-final draw
AC Milan or Napoli v Inter Milan or Benfica
Real Madrid or Chelsea v Manchester City or Bayern Munich
