An exciting reunion for Paris, a huge shock on the program. PSG will challenge FC Barcelona in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Barça is the club that Paris has faced the most in its history in the European Cup, tied with Bayern (13 matches), just ahead of Real (12). It is obviously the painful memory of the comeback, in 2017, but also that of the qualification in 2021, with a 4-1 victory at Camp Nou with a hat-trick from Kylian Mbappé. PSG-Barça, the opportunity for Ousmane Dembélé to find his former club, and of course also for Luis Enrique, the latter having played and coached the Blaugrana, currently third in the La Liga standings and defeaters of Naples in the round of 16.
Good draw for Paris? The future will tell. It could have been worse. Especially since the winner of this PSG-Barcelona, whose first leg will take place at the Parc des Princes before returning to Monjuic (the Camp Nou is under construction), will find Antoine Griezmann’s Atlético Madrid or Borussia Dortmund in halves.
In the other part of the table, the Arsenal Gunners will challenge Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern Munich. Last but not least, the two main favorites for the final victory will face each other in the quarters, namely the defending champion, Manchester City, against Real Madrid, 14 times winner of the Big Ears Cup. A shock in the form of a new European classic: the two clubs have faced each other six times since 2020, and 10 in total. Manchester City won in the semi-finals in 2023 (1-1, 4-0), while Real reached the same stage of the competition in 2022 (3-4, 3-1 ap). The Citizens qualified in the 8th in 2020 (2-1, 2-1). Finally, it was Real who had the last word in 2016, in the semi-finals (0-0, 1-0). The first double confrontation between the two teams took place in the group stage in 2012.
The first legs will take place on April 9 and 10, one week before the return matches, on April 16 and 17. As for the semi-finals, it will be April 30 and May 1 for the first legs and May 7 and 8. for the return matches, the final being scheduled for June 1 at Wembley Stadium, London.
The program of the quarts de finale: Arsenal-Bayern MunichAtlético Madrid-Borussia DortmundReal Madrid-Manchester CityPSG-FC Barcelone
The half-time program: Atlético Madrid or Borussia Dortmund-PSG or FC BarcelonaArsenal or Bayern Munich-Real Madrid or Manchester City
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