Man City to face Real Madrid in Champions League Quarter-finals
Manchester City face a Champions League quarter-final blockbuster against 14-time European champions Real Madrid.
The teams have met at the semi-final stage in the last two seasons, with City hammering Real 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium last season on their way to winning their first Champions League title.
Arsenal have been drawn against six-time European champions Bayern Munich, whose star striker Harry Kane is the former talisman of their bitter north London rivals Tottenham.
The Gunners have lost each of their last three meetings with Bayern 5-1, so will be hoping for much better this time around.
City and Arsenal will meet in the semi-finals if they can negotiate their tricky quarter-final ties.
Paris St Germain and Barcelona will go head to head, as will Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
The quarter-final first legs will be played on 9 and 10 April, with the second legs the following week. The semi-finals take place on 30 April and 1 May, with the return legs on 7 and 8 May. Wembley will host the final on Saturday, 1 June.
City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain is relishing the clash with Real and said: “We have been playing them a while now in the last few seasons. We all remember when we beat them in the semi-final last year – it was amazing. Last season when we played them at home in the second leg we played a top, top game.
“We know how strong they are – they are top of the league. They have good players, play good football and they have one of the best players in the world.”
Asked if City could retain their title, Begiristain said: “Yes, why not? We are doing very well in this competition and winning the games. Mentally, we are strong and top in confidence.
“We are going to need it to beat Real Madrid. We are confident – in the last years we’ve been fighting for this competition and last year we won it. We hope we can keep the winning run going.
Champions League Quarter-final Draw:
- Arsenal v Bayern Munich
- Real Madrid v Manchester City
- Atletico Madrid v Borussia Dortmund
- PSG v FC Barcelona
Champions League Semi-final Draw:
- Arsenal/Bayern Munich v Real Madrid/Manchester City
- Atletico Madrid/Borussia Dortmund v PSG/Barcelona
