As of Wednesday night, we know the identity of the eight teams still in contention for this season’s Champions League crown - and FC Bayern are among them following their unforgettable Round of 16 victory over Juventus. A dramatic 4-2 victory after extra-time means Germany’s record champions are through to the quarter-finals in Europe’s elite club competition for the 15th time in all.
The five-time winners will find out which team bars their way to the last four at midday on Friday when the quarter-final ties are drawn at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. Of the 32 teams that contested the group stages, the remaining eight are FC Bayern, holders Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, Benfica and VfL Wolfsburg.
Three Spanish hopefuls
Like last season, Spain’s La Liga provides three of the last eight clubs. Barcelona beat Arsenal 5-1 on aggregate in the last sixteen and are the latest team to attempt the hitherto unachieved feat of defending the Champions League crown. Record winners Real Madrid beat off AS Roma 4-0 over the two legs and remain in the hunt for an 11th triumph. Local rivals Atlético Madrid scraped into the last eight with an 8-7 penalty shoot-out victory over PSV Eindhoven after both Round of 16 matches ended goalless.
Paris Saint-Germain have already been crowned French Ligue 1 champions and are among the favourites to lift European football’s most prestigious trophy this term. The team spearheaded by superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic repeated their feat from last season by overcoming Chelsea in the Round of 16, winning both meetings 2-1. The last remaining Premier League representatives are Manchester City, 3-1 aggregate winners against Dynamo Kyiv and debutants in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Wolves still in it
That is also the case for DFB Cup holders VfL Wolfsburg, who downed Belgian surprise package KAA Gent 4-2 in the Round of 16. The field for the last eight is completed by Portuguese champions Benfica: the Lisbon giants beat Zenit St Petersburg 3-2 on aggregate to make the last eight.
Friday’s draw is unseeded and subject to no conditions, so Bayern could be paired with any of the other seven teams including Wolfsburg, and will play the first leg at home or away on the basis of the draw alone. The first leg ties will be played on 5 and 6 April, with the returns a week later on 12 and 13 April.
