Real Madrid to face Man City in Champions League quarterfinals

Football
By Associated Press | Mar 15, 2024
Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham (right) and Man City's Phil Foden.[UEFA Champions League]

Real Madrid and Manchester City will meet in a heavyweight Champions League quarterfinal between the past two winners and the only two teams to win all all six group games in this season's competition.

Madrid will host the first leg on April 9 or 10 and the return will be the week after in Manchester.

Kylian Mbappe's path to a first Champions League title with Paris Saint-Germain in his farewell season there will next go through Barcelona. PSG hosts the first leg.

Arsenal was drawn to play the first leg at home against Bayern Munich, whose star striker Harry Kane will go back to north London after leaving the Gunners' archrival Tottenham this offseason.

Atletico Madrid was paired with Borussia Dortmund in the other game.

Martin Ordegaard (right) of Arsenal and Bayern Munich's Harry Cane.[UEFA Champions League]

UEFA also made the draw for the semifinals which ensured Mbappe and PSG cannot meet Real Madrid - the team he is expected to join in the summer - until the final.

That draw arguably put the four strongest teams in the same half.

The winner between Real Madrid and Man City will be away in the first leg against Arsenal or Bayern.

Atletico or Dortmund will host the first leg against PSG or Barcelona.

There was a familiar and powerful look to the draw. It featured five European champions - who have combined to win 27 of the previous 68 titles - and three beaten finalists: Arsenal, Atletico and PSG.

The semifinals are played between April 30 and May 8. The final is on June 1 at Wembley Stadium in London.

Share this story
Veteran goalkeeper Neuer recalled to aid Germany World Cup bid
Veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was handed a surprise recall to Germany's 26-man World Cup squad, coming out of international retirement to play in the tournament for a fifth time.
Emery urges Villa to use Europa triumph to fuel bold new era
Unai Emery urged Aston Villa to use their historic Europa League final triumph against Freiburg as the foundation for an "ambitious" new era.
DR Congo cancel World Cup training in Kinshasa amid Ebola outbreak
The Democratic Republic of Congo team have cancelled a planned pre-World Cup training camp at home after the country was hit by an Ebola outbreak
For Arsenal, the time is right and the Lord has made it happen
When Patrick Paul Vieira lifted Arsenal’s English Premier League trophy in 2004, petrol in Kenya was retailing at Sh64.99, Diesel was Sh51.60, while kerosene went for Sh38.19.
Julius Yego's exit beckons after his last African show in Ghana
The 37-year-old javelin star is set for his last World Championships and Olympics next year and 2028 respectively.
.
RECOMMENDED NEWS