The draw for the quarter final of the Champions League has been made and with that we have some cracking fixtures . The semi final draw has also been decided which offers a possible inclination as to who we may see face off in the final on the 29th of May. The first legs of the quarters will be played out on the 6th/7th of April with the second leg commencing a week later on the 13th/14th of April. The Semi’s are due to be played on the 27th/28th of April with the return leg scheduled for the 4th/5th of May. So with all that out of the way lets see who gets who.
Man City v Borussia Dortmund
Jadon Sancho will return to his former club in Man City while İlkay Gündoğan facing a trip back to Signal Iduna Park. Every year seems to be the year that City will kick on and reach the final, and they may view a game against Dortmund as more fortunate then it could of been. Despite Erling Haaland’s frightening firepower, Dortmund only occupy fifth in the Bundesliga, with City well ahead in the Premier League standings. City played German opposition in the last round, comfortably progressing against Borussia Mönchengladbach. A late Sevilla goal against Dortmund in the last round skewed the aggregate a bit, as Dortmund really did come out convincing winners in their last 16 tie.
Porto v Chelsea
Chelsea got what many perceive to be the most favorable draw of the lot. Porto famously defeated a Ronaldo led Juventus in the last round, however Chelsea are in flying form under new manager Tomas Tuchel. After defeating Atletico Madrid, Chelsea will be full of confidence and swagger to face a side they have not played in over five years.
Bayern Munich v PSG
The other quarter final is a repeat of last year’s final, as holders Bayern Munich meet Paris Saint Germain. Both sides did very well in the last round against blowing away their opponents in the first tie. Bayern defeated Lazio 6-2 over both legs, while PSG knocked out the mighty Barcelona by a total score of 5-2.
Real Madrid v Liverpool
A repeat of the 2018 Final, Liverpool and Real Madrid is easily the most anticipated encounter of the draw. Last decade both sides only met a total of three times, with Madrid winning all three. However these teams are different animals to their predecessors. Madrid defeated Italians Atlanta in the previous round while Liverpool blew past RB Leipzig. Dreams of another final in Istanbul, the home of Liverpool’s famous comeback against AC Milan, will surely be on the minds of players and fans everywhere. Is it romantic to assume it is a possibility come May 29th?
Semi Final
With the announcement of the quarters comes the draw for the Semis and here is how we are looking.
QF 3 v QF 1: Bayern Munich or PSG v Man City or Dortmund
QF 4 v QF 2: Real or Liverpool v Porto or Chelsea
Man City will have their work cut out for them should they progress to the Semi Finals with either Munich or PSG facing them. Meanwhile will Dortmund would love to have another crack at their German counterparts in the latter stages of the Champions League.
An all English semi final may be on the cards as Liverpool and Chelsea could bit their wits against each other, while if they lose we will have an Iberian semi. Lots of games to look forward to!
Tune into Scoreline this weekend where Shane and Robbie will be discussing all this news on Saturday from 2-6. Don’t forget to text us on 0833069696
