CL quarter-finals drawn
FC Bayern challenges Arsenal, BVB duels with Atletico
March 15, 2024, 12:17 p.m
Hammerless for FC Bayern and Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals of the Champions League: The Munich team will face Premier League leaders FC Arsenal. BVB faces Atlético Madrid. There is also the battle of the giants between defending champions Manchester City and Real Madrid.
FC Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund avoid the supposedly toughest opponents in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. The Munich team will face Premier League leaders FC Arsenal and will have to play away first, but without fans. They were banned by UEFA for several offenses. BVB meets Atlético Madrid. That was the result of the draw in Nyon. A German final between the two Bundesliga heavyweights in London, like in 2013, is possible thanks to the draw.
Record winners Real Madrid compete in a giant duel with defending champions Manchester City under coach Pep Guardiola. The quarter-finals are completed by the pairing Paris Saint-Germain against FC Barcelona. In a possible semi-final, Bayern would face Real or City, Dortmund would face PSG or Barça.
The quarter-final first legs will be played on April 9th and 10th, with the second legs scheduled for a week later. The semi-finals will follow between April 30th and May 8th. The big goal of all eight remaining teams is the final at Wembley Stadium in London on June 1st. “The path is now clear to Wembley. From now on everything is possible,” said Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel.
The Munich team had failed in the quarter-finals in each of the past three years. In 2021 the final stop was against Paris Saint-Germain, and a year later outsiders FC Villarreal had the upper hand. Last year, eventual title winners Manchester City prevailed against Munich. For the German record champions, the premier class is probably the last chance for the title before head coach Tuchel leaves at the end of the season. In the Bundesliga, Bayern are ten points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen and were eliminated early in the DFB Cup.
Borussia Dortmund is among the top eight teams in the Champions League for the first time since 2021. By progressing against PSV Eindhoven, the Westphalians at least for a while banished the frustration of a so far mixed season. Bundesliga rivals RB Leipzig, on the other hand, unfortunately failed in the round of 16 against Real Madrid. For the debutants 1. FC Union Berlin it was over after the group phase.