Thanks to their successful comeback in the round of 16 second leg against Lazio, FC Bayern are in the hat for the next round of the Champions League. Thomas Tuchel's team will discover who they face in the quarter-finals on Friday 15 March, at 12:00 CET, when the draw for the last eight takes place at the home of European football in Nyon, Switzerland. FCB can be paired with any of the seven high-class teams in the draw, as there's no seeding or country protection. Let's take a look at Bayern's potential opponents.
Real Madrid
After a flawless group stage with 18 points from six games, Real Madrid came through two tight contests against RB Leipzig in the last 16, winning 2-1 on aggregate. Now the record Champions League winners (14 titles) could face German opposition again in the last eight. Madrid and Munich have met 26 times in total - the record: 12 Bayern wins, three draws and 11 Real victories.
The last encounter won't bring back happy memories for FCB fans, when the Spanish side knocked the German record champions out of the competition in 2018 with a narrow 2-2 draw (4-3 on aggregate). The side coached by ex-Bayern boss Carlo Ancelotti, who have suffered just one defeat in La Liga this season, are currently well on course for the league title with a seven-point lead over nearest challengers Girona.
Manchester City
Memories of last year's quarter-final exit at the hands of current holders Manchester City are still fresh. The Bavarians were eliminated following a 3-0 defeat in Manchester and a 1-1 draw in the return leg at the Allianz Arena. Will there now be an opportunity for revenge? The Cityzens are slightly ahead when it comes to previous UCL encounters with FCB, with four wins to Bayern's three as well as one draw. City, who are currently involved in a close title race with Arsenal and Liverpool, are unbeaten in 12 league games and also didn't drop a single point in the group stage. They beat FC Copenhagen, one of Bayern's group opponents, 3-1 in the round of 16.
Paris Saint-Germain
Another big name potentially awaits in the quarter-finals in Paris Saint-Germain. Bayern knocked the French champions out of Europe's premier club competition at the last-16 stage last season, winning 1-0 in Paris and 2-0 in Munich. The overall head-to-head against the Parisians also slightly favours FCB, who have come out on top in seven of the 13 meetings (six losses).
PSG are sitting pretty at the top of Ligue 1 with a 10-point cushion, but they were less convincing in the Champions League group stage. Luis Enrique's team finished second behind Borussia Dortmund and only qualified for the knockout stages on goal difference ahead of third-placed AC Milan. It was more comfortable for Paris in the last 16 against Real Sociedad, with star striker Kylian Mbappé scoring three of the four goals in a 4-1 aggregate victory for the French club.
FC Barcelona
Barcelona and quarter-finals? That brings back memories of a magical Champions League night for Bayern fans. The Munich men rolled over the Catalans in 2020 with an 8-2 win in the teams' last knockout encounter, and now Barça could be the German record champions' quarter-final opponents once more. The Spanish giants are having a disappointing campaign in La Liga and are currently in third place - eight points behind leaders Real Madrid.
In the UCL group stage, 12 points from six matches were enough to seal their place in the round of 16 as group winners. In the last 16, coach Xavi Hernández - who is leaving at the end of the season - guided his side to a 4-2 aggregate win over Napoli. Bayern are something of a bogey team for the Blaugrana, with 11 wins for the German record champions from 15 meetings (D2 L2). Particularly impressive is the fact that Bayern have won each of their last six games against Barcelona, most recently in last season's group stage.
Arsenal
Arsenal are on a roll in the Premier League at the moment, climbing to the top of the standings with eight consecutive wins. Having led for a long time last season but squandered the title, Mikel Arteta's men are targeting a first league triumph since 2004. The Gunners took that league momentum with them into their round of 16 second leg against Porto on Tuesday. Having lost 1-0 in the first leg, Arsenal levelled the tie and then held their nerve in the penalty shootout.
FCB last came up against the North London club in the last 16 of the 2016/27 UCL season, when the Munich men dumped the Gunners out of the competition with two emphatic 5-1 wins. In 12 Champions League meetings overall, Bayern have won seven times, Arsenal three and the points have been shared twice.
Borussia Dortmund
Could the quarter-finals see the first all-German Champions League tie since the legendary final in 2013? Borussia Dortmund, who came first in a group containing PSG, Milan and Newcastle United, defeated PSV Eindhoven in the round of 16. Following a 1-1 draw in the first leg, Edin Terzić's side pulled off a 2-0 win at home.
BVB occupy fourth place in the Bundesliga, 10 points shy of second-placed Bayern. The overall head-to-head record between the two rivals clearly favours the Munich club at 68 wins, 32 draws and 33 losses. FCB and BVB have met just three times in the Champions League. In the 1997/98 campaign, Dortmund edged through in the quarter-finals, winning 1-0 after extra time at Signal Iduna Park after a goalless draw in the first leg in Munich. In the 2013 final at Wembley - also the venue for this year's final - Bayern lifted the famous trophy after a 2-1 victory against Borussia.
Atlético Madrid
The last team to book their place in the quarter-finals were Atlético Madrid, who saw off Inter Milan in the round of 16. Coach Diego Simeone's side cancelled out the 1-0 defeat from the first leg with a 2-1 win at home, and then demonstrated the better nerves on penalties. In the group stage, Atlético claimed top spot ahead of Bayern's last-16 opponents Lazio as well as Feyenoord and Celtic.
Los Colchoneros are fourth in La Liga at present. Bayern and Atlético have met eight times before in alll competitions, with four wins for FCB, two draws and two defeats. The most recent of these came in the 2020/21 group stage, when the German record champions won 4-0 in Munich and drew 1-1 in the Spanish capital.
Aleksandar Pavlović was voted FC Bayern Player of the Month for February:
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