UEFA Champions League Trophy (Twitter)
Defending champions Real Madrid will take on English side Chelsea in the last eight of the continental tournament, while Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City will take on German giants Bayern Munich. Serie A leaders Napoli take on AC Milan in an all-Italian clash, while Inter are drawn against Benfica
Real Madrid’s path to another Champions League title will have to pass Chelsea in the quarter-finals for the second year in a row.
Friday’s draw brings Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti back to face his former club, who were knocked out by a Karim Benzema goal in extra time a year ago.
This time, the first leg between the last two Champions League winners will take place in Madrid instead of London on April 11 or 12.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has also been reunited with a former club. The English champions were set to face Bayern Munich, who have won all eight of their games in the competition this season and will play the first leg away from home.
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The winner between City and Bayern will play either Madrid or Chelsea in the semi-finals.
The second half of the draw is dominated by Italian clubs with the possibility of a Milan derby in the semi-finals.
AC Milan will first face Napoli, the runaway Serie A leaders making their debut in the quarter-finals of the Champions League or the old European Cup. The first leg is at the San Siro.
Inter Milan will play Benfica in the first leg, returning to the country where it knocked out Porto in the round of 16.
Inter are playing at this stage of the competition for the first time in 12 years, while Milan are ending an 11-year wait.
Six former champions, combined for 34 titles in the competition’s 68-year history, were in the draw. Only Napoli and Manchester City have not yet become European champions.
The first leg will be played on 11 and 12 April. The return games are scheduled for April 18 and 19.
The semi-final matches will be played between May 9-17 and the final will be played on June 10 at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)