Champions League Quarter-Final Draw highlights: Real Madrid to take on Manchester City; Arsenal to face Bayern Munich

Manuel Neuer, Bayern Munich goalkeeper, about facing Arsenal: "They're a very strong team with a very good spirit. They're currently top of the Premier League for a reason. It's going to be two hard games, we'll have to show what we're all about if we're to progress. It's going to be an intriguing tie, we're looking forward to the assignment and are happy we get to play in these games."

Thomas Tuchel, Bayern Munich's coach, on today's draw: "We now face one of the best teams in Europe. They've been playing consistently at the top level for two years. They're a homogenous, dangerous team, they score a huge number of goals. We'll be ready, though. We know our qualities."

Here's what Thomas Müller, Bayern Munich star, said about the threat posed by Arsenal: "Arsenal are a team who'll give us two thrilling games. They're in good form at the moment. It's a tough task, but with the second leg being in Munich, we have good chances of progressing."

Here's what Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta tweeted about the UCL draw: "Tough draw but very motivated to play against Bayern Munich!! Looking forward to a great Champions League night at the Emirates!!!"

Arsenal (ENG) vs Bayern München (GER)
Atlético de Madrid (ESP) vs Borussia Dortmund (GER)
Real Madrid (ESP) vs Manchester City (ENG)
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) vs Barcelona (ESP)

So, here are the quarter-finals:

AC Milan v Roma

Liverpool v Atalanta

Bayer Leverkusen v West Ham

Benfica v Marseille

And the semi-final line-up:

Benfica or Marseille v Liverpool or Atalanta

Milan or Roma v Bayer Leverkusen or West Ham United

"We were 4-0 up and that's the moment when you think, okay we take off now, x, y and z. I don't think we would have played Robbo (Andrew Robertson) as a centre-half if it's 0-0 or we're 2-0 down," Klopp told a press conference before Sunday's game.

"It's really strange, you cannot believe you are 4-1 up at half time and 9-2 on aggregate, so even the biggest pessimist would not think that we will not go through.

"Usually you really have no time and resources to think about the next game."

Real Madrid are 14-times champions and knocked City out in 2022 semi-finals but Carlo Ancelotti's side were soundly beaten 5-1 on aggregate by Pep Guardiola's team in the last four last year.

"We don't have another option. It looks like a little bit of a tradition... playing the kings of the competition, winning 14 Champions Leagues," Guardiola told reporters.

"Hopefully we can arrive in a good moment. There's still three weeks before the first game (leg) in Madrid, we'll see."

We'll keep adding updates to the blog from managers, players and clubs as and when they arrive. Stay tuned.

“He has the quality that a ‘metronome’ must have. I’m sure that when he hangs up his boots, he’ll be a great coach if he wants to be. He reminds me of Pep Guardiola when I had him as a player.” One of European football’s most decorated managers, Jose Mourinho saw Xabi Alonso’s potential as a manager even while he was a player under him. It’s been fourteen years since Mourinho made that bold prediction. And the Spanish midfielder, who is at the helm of Bayer Leverkusen, is proving the “Special One’s” analysis to be prophetic.

In a league with giants like Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, Alonso’s club currently sits pretty right at the top with a 4-point difference with second-placed Bayern. Leverkusen have played 17 matches this season so far with an unbeaten record – 14 wins and 3 draws. (Read more)

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag was distraught at not being able to sign a striker in the January transfer window this year. “I wanted a striker, and because of the injury to (Anthony) Martial, we don’t really have the back-up. It was not possible because we have to meet the FFP rules,” he said.

It’s been a while since the Premier League managers have had to worry about Financial Fair Play rules as witnessed by their spending in the last three record-breaking winter windows. Even last year, the EPL clubs had spent £815m. This year, it has seen a mighty fall with the 20 top-flight clubs spending just £100m, which is £715m less than last year according to a report by Deloitte, with Tottenham’s signing of Radu Dragusin from Genoa for £25m the highest spent this time around. (Read more)

Arsenal (ENG) vs Bayern München (GER)
Atlético de Madrid (ESP) vs Borussia Dortmund (GER)
Real Madrid (ESP) vs Manchester City (ENG)
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) vs Barcelona (ESP)

Both competitions will undergo similar changes to the league format, and the third tier of UEFA’s club competition will be renamed the UEFA Conference League. The Conference League will also be slightly different at the league stage with six matches instead of the eight group stage matches that the Champions League as well as Europa League will have.

Similar to how the top 32 teams are decided. Purely based on the position of the club in their respective league in the previous season, as well as each country’s position in the association club coefficient ranking. Out of the four slots, the first will go to the club ranked third in the association ranked fifth in the coefficient rankings.

Slot 2, according to UEFA, will be awarded to ‘a domestic champion by extending from four to five the number of clubs qualifying via the Champions path of the competition’s qualifying process, which will consist of four qualifying rounds.’ Slots 3 and 4 will go to the ‘associations with the best collective performance by their clubs in the previous season’.

Firstly, top clubs face each other earlier in the competition and every result right up until the final day of the group stage has raised stakes. A loss could be catastrophic, goal differences could uproot the best laid plans and UEFA promises that the new system will ensure ‘fast changing and unpredictable standings.’

The UEFA website stated, “The changes made are designed to secure the positive future of European football at every level and meet the evolving needs of all its stakeholders.”

In order to find out which team faces who, all teams are set to be ranked in four seeding pots. A team that is drawn will then play two opponents from each pot with one match being played at home and one played on the road for a total of eight ‘league’ games.

The biggest change that UEFA have made is to turn the group stage into a 36-team league competition, instead of 32 earlier. A team will play eight matches against eight teams, four home and four away where the top eight teams directly qualify to the Round-of-16. Then the teams ranked from ninth to 24th, will take part in knockout style playoff games.

No player has scored more Premier League goals against Arsenal than Harry Kane (14).

On Tuesday during the Champions League Round Of 16 game between Arsenal and Porto, there was a heated exchange after the former’s won 4-1 penalties at the Emirates.

“Mikel Arteta (Arsenal manager) turned to the bench during the game and insulted my family in Spanish. In the end, I told him that the person he insulted is no longer among us.” would reveal Porto boss Conceicao after the game in a Post-match press conference. (Read more)

Semi final 1: Benfica or Marseille vs Liverpool or Atalanta

Semi-final 2: Milan or Roma vs Bayer Leverkusen or West Ham

The quarter-finals are set! ?
Most exciting tie?#UELdraw pic.twitter.com/s70kFqKjOH

— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) March 15, 2024

Bayer Leverkusen to take on West Ham United in quarterfinal three

Benfica to take on Marseille in quarterfinal four

AC Milan to take on AS Roma in quarterfinal one

Liverpool to take on Atalanta in quarterfinal two

This is the third consecutive season in which Real Madrid and Manchester City have met in the Champions League knockout rounds. The Spanish side mounted a remarkable late comeback to oust City in extra time in the 2021/22 semi-finals (3-4 a, 3-1 h aet) but the English side eased through at the same stage last season (1-1 a, 4-0 h).

PSG and Barcelona have faced each other on 13 previous occasions, most recently in the 2020/21 round of 16, when Mbappé's first-leg hat-trick in the Camp Nou inspired Paris to a comfortable aggregate success (4-1 a, 1-1 h). The most famous meeting between PSG and Barça came in the 2016/17 round of 16, when Paris won 4-0 in the home first leg but were undone by three late goals at the Camp Nou, Barcelona winning 6-1 on the night and 6-5 on aggregate in what was the biggest comeback in Champions League history.

 

 

 

 

 

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Oh, Gunners! Look who's come back knocking again. Bayern Munich had left no stones unturned to make sure it was the last we saw of the Arsene Wenger era in the Champions League. 5-1 at the Allianz Arena. 5-1 at the Emirates. Look at the goalscorers they had: Robert Lewandowski, of course. Thomas Muller, he somehow always finds the target against an English side. Arjen Robben was still balling around, cutting in from the right, you know how that drill went. Even Arturo Vidal scored, twice. But in 2024, it's not an altogether gloomy proposition for the London club. This Bayern side can bleed, as even German third division side FC Saarbrucken showed when they knocked the Bundesliga powerhouse out of the DFB Pokal Cup in November. A 3-0 win against Lazio in R16 and 8-1 trumping of Mainz in a week's time has brought some calm at a club that's already announced it'll part ways with the first-team manager at the end of the summer. Even a  European title won't change that. But with Thomas Tuchel, and Harry Kane comes a familiar piece of London football rivalry that'll surely up the steam for the Germans.

? Your dream final?#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/cjdfn0Cm5x

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 15, 2024

Arsenal and Bayern Munich have contested four Champions League knockout ties, all in the round of 16 and all won by the Bundesliga side -- in 2004/05 (agg: 3-2), 2012/13 (agg: 3-3, Bayern win on away goals), 2013/14 (agg: 3-1) and 2016/17.

Arsenal's last Champions League campaign was ended by Bayern, a 10-2 aggregate defeat in the 2016/17 round of 16 (1-5 a, 1-5 h).

Arsenal (ENG) vs Bayern München (GER)
Atlético de Madrid (ESP) vs Borussia Dortmund (GER)
Real Madrid (ESP) vs Manchester City (ENG)
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) vs Barcelona (ESP)

Madrid have now won 37 of the 39 ties in which they have recorded an away first-leg win in UEFA competition.

Mbappé took his tally to 45 Champions League goals in Paris's last-16 second leg, the second youngest player to reach the landmark at 25 years and 76 days; only Messi was younger at 24 years and 257 days.

Erling Haaland has played four home matches in the Champions League round of 16 and has scored a total of ten goals in those games.

Dortmund have won nine of their previous ten UEFA competition ties when they have drawn the first leg away from home.

Atlético are unbeaten in their last 17 Champions League knockout round matches in their own stadium (W10 D7) since a 3-2 defeat against Ajax in the 1996/97 quarter-finals.

The last time PSG played Barcelona in a UCL knockout, Kylian Mbappe gave Lionel Messi and Co nightmares. Dressed in all white, with rumors of his Real Madrid signing at an all time high, Mbappe scored a hat-trick in the absence of Neymar to throw the Catalans out of the competition. It was the first time that the Barca conceded more than 1 goal in 15 UCL knockout outings. It felt like an apt audition before his arrival to the Santiago Bernabeu but as it turned out, Mbappe extended his contract at the end of the season. As it happens, the childhood Real Madrid fan boy is as close to signing for the club as he's ever been, with PSG taking on Barcelona once again in the knockouts.

No team has played as many Champions League knockout fixtures as Arsenal and not lifted the trophy.

As Manchester City celebrated their victory under lights against Manchester United in a derby which continues to lose its competitive edge by the season, the Pep Guardiola side will be wary that much greater challenges lie in front of the defending champions as the month progresses.

While a victory over United is a big deal in the local scheme of things, it’s now just another match in the grander context. Beating Manchester United nowadays is not something that’s a rarity with even Fulham having done it last week, something that they hadn’t done at Old Trafford since 2003. City, though, have bigger fish to fry. (Read more from Sayak Dutta)

The UEFA Champions League final will be held at London's prestigious Wembley Stadium on Saturday, 1 June.

The Champions League final returns to the London venue for a record eighth time, and the third in the UEFA Champions League era following the 2011 and 2013 finals.

Winner of Arsenal (ENG) vs Bayern Munich (GER) to face winner of Real Madrid and Man City

Meanwhile, Atlético Madrid or Dortmund will take on Paris or Barcelona.

Arsenal (ENG) vs Bayern München (GER)
Atlético de Madrid (ESP) vs Borussia Dortmund (GER)
Real Madrid (ESP) vs Manchester City (ENG)
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) vs Barcelona (ESP)

Quarter-finals confirmed ?#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/s7PpLFP0Bn

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 15, 2024

Paris Saint-Germain, who were the runners-up in 2020, are drawn against Barcelona in what we can call the former- Lionel-Messi-team derby.

Real Madrid have been drawn against Manchester City. The Spanish side are chasing their 15th UEFA Champions League title.

Arsenal are one-time Champions League finalists. Bayern Munich are the six-time champions. They will take on each other in the quarters. What does that mean for Gunners fans? It means the north London side will welcome back Harry Kane, who captained their dear rivals Tottenham Hotspur for so many years and was a constant thorn in the side of Arsenal.

Three-time runners-up Atlético Madrid will play 1997 winners Borussia Dortmund.

Arsenal FC to take on six times champions Bayern Munchen

Group stage:

Manchester City 3-1 Red Star Belgrade (Alvarez x2, Rodri)

RB Leipzig 1-3 Manchester City (Foden, Alvarez, Doku)

Young Boys 1-3 Manchester City (Akanji, Haaland x2)

Manchester City 3-0 Young Boys (Haaland x2, Foden)

Manchester City 3-2 RB Leipzig (Haaland, Foden, Alvarez)

Red Star Belgrade 2-3 Manchester City (Hamilton, Phillips, Bobb)

Round Of 16

Copenhagen 1-3 Manchester City (De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Foden)

Manchester City 3-1 Copenhagen (Akanji, Alvarez, Haaland)

Group stage:

Real Madrid 1-0 Union Berlin (Bellingham)

Napoli 2-3 Real Madrid (Vinicius Jr, Bellingham, Meret OG)

Braga 1-2 Real Madrid (Rodrygo, Bellingham)

Real Madrid 3-0 Braga (Brahim, Vinicius Jr,

Real Madrid 4-2 Napoli (Rodrygo, Bellingham, Paz, Joselu)

Union Berlin 2-3 Real Madrid (Joselu x2, Ceballos)

Round Of 16:

RB Leipzig 0-1 Real Madrid (Brahim)

Real Madrid 1-1 RB Leipzig (Vinicius Jr)

Group stage:

PSG 2-0 Dortmund (Mbappe, Hakimi)

Newcastle 4-1 PSG (Hernandez)

PSG 3-0 Milan (Mbappe, Kolo Muani, Lee)

Milan 2-1 PSG (Skriniar)

PSG 1-1 Newcastle (Mbappe)

Dortmund 1-1 PSG (Zaire-Emery)

Round Of 16:

PSG 2-0 Real Sociedad (Mbappe, Barcola)

Real Sociedad 1-2 PSG (Mbappe [x2])

Group stage:

Bayern Munich 4-3 Manchester United (Sane, Gnabry, Kane, Tel)

Copenhagen 1-2 Bayern Munich (Musiala, Tel)

Galatasaray 1-3 Bayern Munich (Coman, Kane, Musiala)

Bayern Munich 2-1 Galatasaray (Kane [x2])

Bayern Munich 0-0 Copenhagen

Manchester United 0-1 Bayern Munich (Coman)

Round Of 16:

Lazio 1-0 Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich 3-0 Lazio (Kane [x2], Muller)

Group stage:

Arsenal 4-0 PSV (Saka, Trossard, Jesus, Odegaard)

Lens 2-1 Arsenal (Jesus)

Sevilla 1-2 Arsenal (Martinelli, Jesus)

Arsenal 2-0 Sevilla (Trossard, Saka)

Arsenal 6-0 Lens (Havertz, Jesus, Saka, Martinelli, Odegaard, Jorginho)

PSV 1-1 Arsenal (Nketiah)

Round Of 16

Porto 1-0 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-0 Porto (Trossard) – Arsenal won 4-2 on penalties

Group stage:

Barcelona 5-0 Antwerp (Felix [x2], Lewandowski, Bataille [OG], Gavi)

Porto 0-1 Barcelona (Torres)

Barcelona 2-1 Shakhtar Donetsk (Torres, Fermin)

Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 Barcelona

Barcelona 2-1 Porto (Cancelo, Felix)

Antwerp 3-2 Barcelona (Torres, Guiu)

Round Of 16:

Napoli 1-1 Barcelona (Lewandowski)

Barcelona 3-1 Napoli (Fermin, Cancelo, Lewandowski)

Group stage:

PSG 2-0 Dortmund

Dortmund 0-0 Milan

Newcastle 0-1 Dortmund (Nmecha)

Dortmund 2-0 Newcastle (Fullkrug, Brandt)

Milan 1-3 Dortmund (Reus, Bynoe-Gittens, Adeyemi)

Dortmund 1-1 PSG (Adeyemi)

Round Of 16

PSV 1-1 Dortmund (Malen)

Last 16 second leg: Dortmund 2-0 PSV (Sancho, Reus)