image source, EPA
Spanish Real Madrid, the record holder for the number of titles (14 titles), collided with English Manchester City, the champion of the previous edition, in the quarter-finals of the European Champions League, according to the results of the draw that was drawn on Friday in the Swiss city of Nyon.
The second most prominent confrontation in this round will be between Paris Saint-Germain of France and Barcelona of Spain, while Arsenal, currently the leader of the English Premier League, will play against Bayern Munich of Germany, and Atletico Madrid of Spain will play against Borussia Dortmund of Germany.
Match dates
The quarter-final matches will be held on April 9-10 and 16-17, and the semi-finals on April 30-May 1 and May 7-8.
The final will be held at the ancient Wembley Stadium in the British capital, London, on the first of next June. Wembley Stadium has previously hosted 7 European finals.
The semi-final draw was also drawn, which resulted in Real Madrid or Manchester City being pitted against the winner of the match between Arsenal and Bayern Munich.
Anglo-Spanish football battle
image source, Reuters
The most prominent confrontation will be in the quarter-finals between Real Madrid and Manchester City, in a repeat of last season’s semi-finals, when they tied in the first leg in Madrid 1-1 before the English club achieved a sweeping victory in the second leg at home with a clean score, on its way to winning the first title in its history at the expense of Inter. Milan, Italian.
Last season’s confrontation was not the first between the two teams, as they faced each other in the group stage of the 2012-2013 season when Manchester City was at the beginning of its rise, and Real won 3-2 in the first leg and then tied 1-1.
They then clashed in the semi-finals of the 2015-2016 season, when Real won 1-0 on aggregate, and again in the 16-finals of the 2019-2020 season, and Manchester City won back and forth with the same score, 2-1, then in the semi-finals of the 2021-2022 season, when Real Madrid won. “Remontada” was wonderful in the second leg in the fatal time and won 3-1 after extending extra time thanks to a brace from Brazilian Rodrigo and a goal from Frenchman Karim Benzema, compensating for its loss in the first leg away from home 3-4.
Memories of “Remontada” 2017
image source, Reuters
Barcelona, in its confrontation with Paris Saint-Germain and its star Kylian Mbappe, will return to the memories of the historic “Remontada” in the eighth final in 2017, when the French team won the first leg at home 4-0 before the Catalan club turned the tables on it in the return leg with a 6-1 win led by Argentine Lionel Messi and the Brazilian. Neymar, who later moved to play at Parc des Princes.
The two teams faced each other in the 16-final in 2021, and Paris Saint-Germain emerged victorious from Catalonia 4-1 before a 1-1 draw in the second leg.
Arsenal, which tops the English Premier League standings, will face a revenge mission against Bayern Munich, which eliminated the London club in its last appearance in the knockout stages by sweeping it 10-2 in the two-legged group in 2017.
Most crowned champion
14 titles: Real Madrid, Spain
7 titles: Milan, Italy
6 titles: Bayern Munich in Germany and Liverpool in England
5 titles: Barcelona, Spain
4 titles: Dutch Ajax
3 titles: Manchester United of England and Inter of Italy