Chelsea take on defending champions Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Graham Potter’s side beat Borussia Dortmund to reach the last eight, while Madrid – led by former Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti – beat Liverpool.
Manchester City, who are unbeaten this season, met coach Pep Guardiola’s former club, FC Bayern Munich.
If both Chelsea and City advance, they will meet in the semi-finals – a repeat of the 2021 final which Chelsea won 1-0.
The rest of the draw sees Benfica vs Inter and a Serie A derby between AC Milan and Napoli.
Follow the reaction and Europa League draws below…
11:43 a.m
Manchester City vs Bayern…
These are Pep Guardiola’s first games against Bayern Munich since he left the club. His only managerial games against them came in the 2009 Champions League quarter-finals, where he knocked them out against Barcelona.
Man City have survived all four of their previous Champions League knockout games against German clubs.
11:42 a.m
Reasons to be cheerful for Chelsea maybe…
Chelsea have lost just one of their seven games against Real Madrid in European competition – in fact they have the lowest percentage of defeats against Real Madrid of any side who have played them five or more times in Europe.
Chelsea’s only defeat in seven games against Real Madrid in Europe came in the last at Stamford Bridge, where they lost 3-1 in last season’s quarter-final first leg.
11:34 a.m
It probably shouldn’t be the focus, but…
Arsenal won’t be unhappy to see City paired with Bayern Munich ahead of a possible semi-final against Chelsea or Real Madrid. With City having chances of reaching the FA Cup semi-finals (they play Burnley at home on Saturday), the big games are piling up at the end of April. City host Arsenal after the FA Cup semi-final in the league on Wednesday.
These runs can build or drain momentum. We will see.
11:20 a.m
The semi-finals were also drawn
Milan/Napoli vs Inter/Benfica
Real Madrid/Chelsea versus Manchester City/Bayern Munich.
Both English clubs are on the hard side in the draw. There is also the possibility of a Milan derby in the semifinals. Benfica have been outstanding in this competition under Roger Schmidt and should not be devalued.
11:17 a.m
The Final Quarterfinals
Is an all-Italian draw between AC Milan and Napoli.
Napoli will be confident they have enough to get through this.
11:16 a.m
Manchester City is out…
…they play against Bayern Munich!
Pep Guardiola takes on his former club. Joao Cancelo back at the Etihad a few months after his departure.
11:16 a.m
The next quarterfinals
Inter vs Benfica. Both teams will be happy with that.
11:14 a.m
The first draw…
Is Real Madrid vs Chelsea!
A repeat of last season’s Quarterfinals.
11:13 a.m
Here we go…
The draw will start shortly. This is a completely open draw, no country protection.
The team that comes out of the bowl first plays their first leg at home. In the case of the Milan clubs, the games could be swapped if both are drawn at home first.
11:12 a.m
Patrick Kluivert is our next guest
AC Milan is the only one of his former clubs still drawn in the quarter-finals.
Kluivert became the youngest player to score in a Champions League final when he scored Ajax’s winner against Milan in 1995.
11:07 a.m
Giorgio Marchetti is on the stage
We are approaching the moment when the balls are drawn.
Hamit Altintop is the special guest assisting with the draw. This year’s Champions League final will take place in Istanbul.
11:02 a.m
The Champions League draw is now underway
Well, the montage of the quarterfinalists’ best moments has at least begun.
10:58 a.m
A reminder of Man Utd’s potential opponents in the Europa League
Roma
juventus
Bayer Leverkusen
Sporty CP
Seville
Feyenoord
Union Saint Gilloise
United are strong favorites for the competition following Arsenal’s exit. Juventus and Bayer Leverkusen will bring back memories of the 1999 and 2002 Champions League semi-finals, while a reunion with Jose Mourinho and Roma would be tasty. Sevilla beat Ole Gunnar Solskjaers United three years ago in the Europe semifinals in that very strange summer lockdown KO competition in Germany.
10:51 a.m
Well, if we say ‘all set’
There will be the usual preamble when club representatives are selected before balls are selected. Remember that there are currently no restrictions on the draw. Teams that have previously played against each other in the groups and teams from the same country can be drawn together. There was an epic Milan derby in the 2003 semifinals and while the caliber of today’s teams isn’t nearly as outstanding, it would be a fantastic couple of nights at the San Siro if we got another Madonnina.
10:42 a.m
They are all set to Nyon
Looks like Patrick Kluivert will make the draw.
It never takes an excuse to show this:
10:01 a.m
luck of the draw
Good morning and welcome to the live streaming of the quarter final draws of the Champions League (11:00 GMT), Europa League (12:00) and if you have the stamina, the Conference League (13:00) live and straight out of Nyon, ‘The House of European Football’ and dear old Pedro Pinto. For all three tournaments, the semi-final draw will take place immediately after the quarter-final draw.
Eight teams are left in each competition, and each is just two steps away from Istanbul…or Budapest…or Prague. In the Champions League we have 14-time winners Real Madrid, seven-time winners Milan, six-time champions Bayern Munich, three-time winners Inter, two-time champions Benfica and Chelsea and our two light blue newcomers Manchester City and Napoli. It’s the first time in 17 years that three Serie A sides have made it, but notwithstanding the Milan giants’ great history and pedigree, Napoli pose the toughest test not only for the trio but also in the draw. Not only would the prospect of a trip to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona terrify their opponents’ fans, rightly so, but the teams too.
There are some tempting prospects there because it’s a free draw – City could play Chelsea in a 2021 final replay, we could have a Milan derby, Chelsea could do a 2012 replay by playing Bayern Munich. Pep could play against Real, Benfica against Milan would remind us of Bela Guttman’s curse… the possibilities are endless
In the Europa League, Manchester United, Juventus, Feyenoord and, you could knock me with a feather, Sevilla all qualified from Thursday’s early kick-offs. (Shall we start a petition to demand that it be renamed the Uefa Sevilla League if they win for the seventh time in 17 years?) From the late kickoffs they are joined by Bayer Leverkusen, Roma, Union Saint-Gilloise and Sporting at . A Jose Mourinho reunion for United would be tasty, or Sevilla against anyone is always worth a watch.
Fiorentina, Gent, Lech Poznan and Basel sat in on Thursday night’s Conference League quarter-final draw, where they were joined three hours later by AZ, Nice, Anderlecht and West Ham United.
Stay tuned to discover their destiny.
Source : sports.yahoo.com