Real Madrid and Manchester City are set to clash in what promises to be a heavyweight Champions League quarterfinal showdown between the past two champions and the only remaining unbeaten teams in this season’s tournament.
The first leg will take place at the Santiago Bernabéu on April 9 or 10, with the return leg scheduled for the following week at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester.
Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappé’s quest for his first Champions League title with Paris Saint-Germain in his final season at the club will see him face Barcelona in the quarterfinals.
PSG will have home advantage in the first leg as coach Luis Enrique returns to his former club, where he guided them to the 2015 title alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar, who have since reunited with Mbappé in Paris.
In other matchups, Arsenal will host Bayern Munich in the first leg, marking Harry Kane’s return to north London after his move from archrivals Tottenham Hotspur in the offseason. However, Bayern fans will not be allowed to attend the match due to UEFA sanctions.
Atlético Madrid will take on Borussia Dortmund in the remaining quarterfinal fixture.
UEFA also conducted the draw for the semifinals, ensuring that Mbappé and PSG cannot face Real Madrid until the final, given the anticipated move of the French star to Madrid in the summer. This arrangement arguably places the four strongest teams in the same half of the draw.
The winner between Real Madrid and Manchester City will face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the first leg away from home, while Atlético Madrid or Borussia Dortmund will host the first leg against PSG or Barcelona.
The draw features a formidable lineup of five European champions, who have collectively won 27 out of the previous 68 titles, along with three runners-up: Arsenal, Atlético, and PSG.
The semifinals are scheduled to take place between April 30 and May 8, with the final set for June 1 at Wembley Stadium in London.
