Two powers eliminated in the Champions League: the modern classic between Real Madrid and Manchester City steals the attention of the quarterfinals

The end of Champions League It will be played two rounds earlier than expected. It may seem like a contradiction, but the two, a priori, strongest teams among the eight that continue to compete in the most important club competition on the planet will meet in the quarter-finals: Manchester Citycurrent champion, e real Madridthe most successful team in the history of the tournament.

Although sometimes some black Swan manages to sneak in in this case, the normal thing is to find up to eight powers in the draw that traces the last segment of the path to the Champions League title, so there isn’t much room to aspire to a bed of roses. This time, Nigerian hands John Obi Mikelchampion of the tournament in 2012 with Chelsea and in charge of the draw held this Friday at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland, he pitted against the two teams that the other six preferred to avoid.

Real Madrid, comfortable leader of the Spanish league, reached this stage later make a cloak in their group (Napoli, Sporting Braga and Unión Berlin were relegated) and struggled to leave Leipzig to reach the round of 16. City, who are fighting Liverpool and Arsenal for the Premier League crown, also made a perfect run in an accessible area (with Leipzig, Young Boys and Red Star) and then eliminated Copenhagen easily.

This It will be the fifth time in the last nine editions (and the third in a row) in which these two teams will face each other in a Champions League knockout match. In the 2015/16 semi-finals, after drawing 0-0 in Manchester and winning 1-0 at home with a goal against the Brazilian Fernando, Meringue They advanced to the final, where they then beat Atlético de Madrid on penalties in Milan. And in the 2019/20 round of 16, City won 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu and repeated the result in the rematch at the Etihad Stadium (then lost in the quarter-finals to Olympique Lyon).

The last two crossings have left a strong mark. In the 2021/22 semi-final, the English won 4-3 at home in the first leg, but in retaliation the Spaniards won 3-1 in the rematch with a legendary comeback: the visitors won 1-0 until the 45th minute of the match. second period, but two goals from the Brazilian Rodrygo send the game to extra time. In extra time, a goal from Frenchman Karim Benzema, from a penalty, set the tone Meringue the ticket to the final in Saint-Denis, in which they would beat Liverpool.

Revenge, sweet and implacable, did not wait more than a year. In last season’s semi-finals, they drew 1-1 in the Spanish capital and then the team led by Josep Guardiola inflicted a memorable dance and scored four goals against his opponent (one of them, by Julián Álvarez) in retaliation. It was the prelude to the final that would allow the Citizens win this title for the first time after defeating Inter in Istanbul. After two rounds won by each side, lThe balance will be unbalanced with the crossing which will take place in April: The first leg will be played at the Bernabéu on the 9th or 10th, while the rematch will be the following week at the Etihad.

The winner of this ultra-competitive key will then have another top-notch opponent, who will emerge from the clash between Arsenalleader of premier leagueAND Bayern Monacothat he couldn’t keep up Bayer Leverkusen In the Bundesliga (he is 10 points behind the leader) and is aiming everything to win his seventh European crown.

After winning their groups without a hitch, both had to work hard to reach the round of 16: The English had to go to penalties to eliminate Porto; The Germans had to return home after losing the first leg lazio In Rome. Now they will meet in a challenge that has four antecedents and a clear trend: all four times (in 2005, 2013, 2014 and 2017) they faced each other in the round of 16 and the Germans have always emerged victorious. This time the departure will be in London and the return in Munich.

Far from the lights of old and with a peaceful journey here, Barcelona AND Paris Saint Germain, the two European teams in which Lionel Messi played, will compete for a place in the semi-finals (the first leg will be at the Parc des Princes). The Catalans, third in the Spanish championship, eliminated Napoli in one of the best matches of the round of 16; The French, on their way to their third consecutive Ligue 1 title (and 10th in 12 years), easily beat Real Sociedad.

If it’s background, Parisians can boast of having preserved the last incident: In the round of 16 of the 2020/21 season, they beat 4-1 at Camp Nou and then drew 1-1 at home: that day Messi scored his last goal for Barça in an international tournament. But the Catalans can boast of having won in the other four matches against PSG. They will certainly remember above all the round of 16 of the 2016/17 season, when they overcame a 0-4 deficit in the first leg to triumph 6-1 in their stadium.

The duel that will complete the poker quarter-finals, with the first episode in Spain and the rematch in Germany, will feature Atletico Madrid AND Borussia Dortmund, the two teams, a priori, least powerful among the eight that reached this stage. Both teams are far from title contention in local leagues and have already been eliminated in domestic cups, so the last big boost of the season is the Champions League.

The group led by Diego Simeone They reached the quarter-finals after overcoming a very adverse series and eliminating Inter on penalties, second in the competition and leader of the Italian Serie A. For the cast led by Edin Terzić The intersection with the PSV Dutch. They will now meet face-to-face for the first time in a Champions League knockout tie (they have only played four times in the group stage, with two wins each).

The four winners of these keys will continue their journey in the semi-finals, which will take place between 30 April and 8 May. The final will be played on Saturday 1 June at Wembley.

The crossroads of the Europa League

The case also established the quarter-final duels Europa League, the competition in which Liverpool emerge as a strong candidate to win the crown. The team led by Jürgen Klopp and in which Alexis Mac Allister shines will face Atalanta, one of the three Italian teams still competing (the first leg will be at Anfield).

The other two representatives of the peninsula, Milan and Roma (second place in the last edition), will eliminate each other: the first leg will be at the Giuseppe Meazza, while the cast of Paulo Dybala and Leandro Paredes will be local in the rematch at the Stadio Olimpico. From capital.

Furthermore, Bayer Leverkusen, the sensational team of this European season (in which they are unbeaten in all competitions), will clash with English side West Ham United. And the Benfica of Ángel Di María, Nicolás Otamendi and Benjamín Rollheiser will face Leonardo Balerdi’s Olympique de Marseille in the fourth round of the quarter-finals of a competition whose final will be played on May 22nd in Dublin.

Conference League duels

The path to the Conference League final, which will be played on May 29 in Athens, was also outlined on Friday in Nyon. The most exciting clash of the quarterfinals will feature Emiliano Martínez’s Aston Villa and French Lille, who will open their group in Birmingham.

Furthermore, the Fiorentina of Nicolás González, Lucas Martínez Quarta, Lucas Beltrán and Gino Infantino will meet the Czech team Viktoria Plzeň. The Olympiacos-Fenerbahçe and Bruges-PAOK duels complete the picture.