adminNYON. — The Champions League soccer quarter-final draw yesterday threw title holders Bayern Munich against arch-rivals Manchester United in one of the most high tension rounds the competition has seen.
Nine-time champions Real Madrid will have a revenge meeting with Borussia Dortmund who dumped them out in last year’s semi-finals.
Four-time winners Barcelona take on Atletico Madrid in an all-Spanish blockbuster while Chelsea tackle Paris Saint-Germain in the battle of Europe’s nouveaux riche.
“These are the toughest quarter-finals in history,” said Barcelona’s sporting director and former player Andoni Zubizarreta. “These will all be big confrontations.”
Runaway Bundesliga leaders Bayern will relish the chance of taking on a United side that snatched a 2-1 victory from the jaws of defeat in the 1999 final.
The two teams have played each other nine times and Bayern will definitely start this one as favourites.
United have had a stuttering season under new coach David Moyes. They burst into life this week when they defeated Olympiakos 3-0 to overcome a two goal deficit and reach the quarter-finals.
With United 12 points behind rivals Manchester City in the fourth Champions League spot from England’s Premier League, winning the competition is their most realistic chance of qualifying for next year’s competition.
The first leg will be played at Old Trafford.
Bayern defender Philipp Lahm warned against complacency despite United’s struggles.
“We can’t allow Man Utd’s current position in the English Premier League table to affect our mindset for this game,” the veteran German international said.
“We’ll need all our strength but we have a good chance of reaching the semi-finals.”
Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea, bankrolled by Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich, take on Paris St Germain who have become a force with Qatari finance.
The Portuguese two-time European champion has never lost at the quarter-final stages.
Mourinho’s first Champions League match as Chelsea manager was a 3-0 victory over PSG in Paris during the 2004-05 group stages while the teams drew 0-0 at Stamford Bridge in the return.
“It’s a massive game. It was always going to be a massive game when you look at the teams. We are really looking forward to it, but it will be a very, very tough game,” said Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay.
“I think it wil be a classic game”.
Paris St Germain reached the last eight last season with Carlo Ancelotti at the helm, before going out against Barcelona on away goals. The French side and Atletico are the two teams in the last eight never to have lifted the European Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo goes into Real’s match against Dortmund with 13 goals, one short of Lionel Messi’s record for Champions League strikes in one season.
The first leg is set for the Santiago Bernabeu. Dortmund, hobbled by suspensions and injuries, have been handed a stiff test in their bid to return to the final after losing 2-1 against Bayern at Wembley last May.
However Dortmund will take heart from the fact they knocked out Real last season 4-3 on aggregate in the semi-finals.
Dortmund’s Polish international striker Robert Lewandowski scored four goals in the first leg of that tie but is suspended for the Madrid match this season.
“It’s a very tough draw for us,” admitted Borussia chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke.
Argentina’s Messi is on 67 Champions League career goals and just four short of the all-time mark held by Spaniard Raul as Barcelona take on Atletico Madrid.
Atletico are one point ahead of Barcelona in La Liga with Real Madrid a further three clear at the top of the Spanish table.
First leg matches will be played April 1/2 with the return fixtures slated for April 8/9 before the draw for the semi-finals on April 11.
The final will be played at Benfica’s Stadium of Light on Saturday May 24.
Meanwhile, runaway Italian Serie A table-toppers Juventus will play French club Lyon in the quarter-finals of the Europa League, the continent’s second-tier tournament, following the draw yesterday.
With the final to be played at Juve’s Turin stadium, the Italian club will be confident of seeing off Lyon, one of three sides in the quarter-finals yet to win a major Uefa club trophy along with AZ Alkmaar of the Netherlands and Swiss club Basel.
“We’re proud to be the only Italian team,” said Pavel Nedved, the former Czech playmaker who is now on Juve’s board.
“It’s a tough draw and there’s a long way to go to reach the final in Turin.”
Nedved added: “People may have us down as favourites but there are still many games to play. We’re only at the quarter-final stage.
“This Juve side has got everything it takes to do well in the Europa League. We’ll tackle the competition with maximum focus and effort.”
AZ were drawn against Benfica, last season’s finalists who saw off Tottenham in the round-of-16. Basel will play Valencia, with another La Liga club Sevilla up against Porto, with first leg matches slated for April 3 and the return legs a week later.
Champions League quarter-final draw
Barcelona (ESP) v Atletico Madrid (ESP)
Real Madrid (ESP) v Borussia Dortmund (GER)
Paris St-Germain (FRA) v Chelsea (ENG)
Manchester United (ENG) v Bayern Munich (GER)
Note: First leg matches to be played April 1/2, second leg matches on April 8/9
Europa League quarter-final fixtures draw
AZ Alkmaar (NED) v Benfica (POR)
Lyon (FRA) v Juventus (ITA)
Basel (SUI) v Valencia (ESP)
Porto (POR) v Sevilla (ESP)
Note: First leg matches to be played April 3, second leg matches on April 10. — AFP.
Online Reporter