Champions League
This is what you need to know about the quarter-final draw
The remaining pairings will be drawn in the Champions League. photo
© Salvatore Di Nolfi/KEYSTONE/dpa
What’s next for FC Bayern and Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League? “Very big clubs” threaten to be quarter-final opponents. A rematch of the 2013 final is also possible.
FC Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are waiting with great excitement for the quarter-final draw Champions League, Bayer Leverkusen for the Europa League. The pairings for the next round will be drawn at the headquarters of the European Football Union UEFA on Friday (12 p.m.).
A year after the bitter quarter-final defeat against Manchester City, another duel for FC Bayern against coach Pep Guardiola’s team is possible. “Now you also need the luck of the draw. Every team that is in the quarter-finals wants to get to the final – us too!” said Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel.
In addition to the quarter-finals, the possible semi-final route to the final will also be drawn on June 1st at Wembley Stadium in London. The quarter-finals will take place on 9/10. April with the first legs and on the 16th/17th. The second legs will be played in April.
From a German perspective, only Bayer Leverkusen is represented in the Europa League after SC Freiburg had no chance at West Ham United. Well-known clubs are waiting in the quarter-finals, especially Liverpool FC with coach Jürgen Klopp.
Who is in the quarterfinals?
In addition to FC Bayern and Dortmund, the Spanish top clubs Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Atlético Madrid, defending champions Manchester City and Arsenal FC from England as well as France’s top club Paris Saint-Germain made it to the quarter-finals.
Where can I see the draw?
There are different possibilities. The draw can be seen on DAZN and Sky as well as in the live stream on zdf.de. It will also be broadcast on the UEFA website.
Is Bayern against Dortmund also possible?
Yes. There are no more restrictions from the quarterfinals onwards. Bayern and Dortmund can meet in the round of the last eight. There could also be “El Clásico” between Real and Barça. Duels between teams from the group stage are also possible, unlike in the round of 16, meaning Dortmund could face Paris again.
Are there any desired opponents?
Sure, but of course no one betrayed him. But you can be sure that FC Bayern doesn’t want a repeat of last year’s quarter-finals. Real Madrid doesn’t necessarily have to be the opponent right now either. In the past three seasons since the 2020 title, Bayern have been eliminated in the quarter-finals: in 2021 against Paris, then against outsiders Villarreal, and last year against eventual winners Man City. But no opponent is really easy anyway. “When you see which clubs are in the quarter-finals, it’s really cool to be part of them. They’re all very big clubs,” said BVB striker Niclas Füllkrug. “Only a very big opponent can come now.”
What are the other dates?
The winners of the quarter-finals will continue with the semi-final first leg on April 30th or May 1st. The second legs will take place a week later on May 7th and 8th.
Why is the final drawn?
There are organizational reasons for this. For example, the home team can be the first to choose the jersey. Another final between Bayern and Borussia Dortmund is conceivable after BVB beat PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday evening. Eleven years ago, Munich won the title at Wembley Stadium against BVB 2-1 after a late winning goal from Arjen Robben.
What about the Europa League and the Conference League?
Leverkusen is the last German representative in the Europa League. Some well-known clubs such as Liverpool FC, last year’s finalists AS Roma and the former European Cup winners AC Milan and Olympique Marseille are waiting in the draw. There are no longer any German participants in the Conference League. In these two competitions, the next rounds will also be drawn after the Champions League.
How important would further German successes be?
They are not only important for the respective club. From the coming season onwards, the two countries whose clubs have achieved the best performance together in the current season will each receive an additional place in the Champions League. The basis is a one-year UEFA ranking list. Germany is second here behind Italy and just ahead of England.