Reigning champions Actual Madrid have been pitted in opposition to Chelsea within the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League for the second consecutive season, whereas Manchester Metropolis have been drawn to face Pep Guardiola’s former membership Bayern Munich within the final eight.
Serie A leaders Napoli tackle AC Milan in an all-Italian showdown and Inter Milan face Portuguese league leaders Benfica.
The winners of Actual’s tie in opposition to Chelsea will go on to face both Metropolis or Bayern within the semifinals, throwing open the potential for an all-English last-four tie.
That additionally will increase probabilities of an Italian group reaching the ultimate for the primary time since Juventus in 2017, as Inter will play both Milan or Napoli within the final 4 ought to the Nerazzurri beat Benfica.
Actual’s path to what could be a fifteenth European Cup is beginning to look remarkably just like the final season, once they beat Chelsea and Metropolis earlier than defeating Liverpool within the last.
Carlo Ancelotti’s group are contemporary from beating Liverpool within the final 16, and can now hope for a repeat of a 12 months in the past once they eradicated Chelsea 5-4 on combination within the quarterfinals.
The groups additionally met within the semifinals in 2021, when the Stamford Bridge facet gained on their strategy to lifting the trophy for the second time.
Metropolis’s ongoing bid to win the Champions League for the primary time faces a significant impediment in a Bayern facet who knocked out Paris Saint-Germain within the final spherical.
It will likely be the primary encounter between the golf equipment for the reason that 2014/15 group stage, when Guardiola was answerable for the German giants.
Guardiola left Bayern to hitch Metropolis in 2016, however continues to be chasing after a primary Champions League title as a coach since profitable it with Barcelona for the second time in 2011.
Italian accent
The draw seems considerably lopsided, with the 4 richest golf equipment left within the competitors all on the identical facet, whereas Italian golf equipment discover themselves within the different half.
A 12 months in the past no Serie A facet made it past the final 16, however now the runaway Italian league leaders Napoli will face the group who gained the home title final season.
Napoli gained 2-1 away to Milan within the league earlier this season and are because of host the seven-time European champions in Serie A on April 2, only a week and a half earlier than the primary leg of their Champions League tie.
Napoli are the one different membership left within the competitors aside from Metropolis who’ve by no means gained the trophy, whereas Inter’s assembly with Benfica brings collectively two groups who’ve gained it 5 instances between them.
Benfica misplaced to Liverpool within the final eight a 12 months in the past and have by no means reached the semifinals within the Champions League period.
Inter, at the moment second in Serie A, 18 factors behind Napoli, haven’t reached the semifinals since final profitable the trophy below Jose Mourinho in 2010, the final victory for an Italian membership within the Champions League.
The quarterfinal first legs can be performed on April 11 and 12, with Actual entertaining Chelsea on the Santiago Bernabeu first earlier than travelling to London for the return every week later, and Metropolis at residence to Bayern first.
Inter had been drawn to play Benfica at residence initially however will now journey to Lisbon for the primary leg to keep away from a conflict with Milan’s assembly with Napoli at San Siro.
The semifinals can be performed in Might with the ultimate in Istanbul scheduled for Saturday, June 10.