The winner of the draw will face the winner of the clash between Manchester City and Atlético Madrid with a possible semi-final of the derby in Madrid.
Crisis club Chelsea take on record winners Real Madrid in a delightful quarter-final in the UEFA Champions League. The draw is a repeat of last season’s semi-final, when the Blues defeated Los Blancos to reach the final, before beating Manchester City 1-0 to win the club’s second European title.
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel will also be able to get his players ready for a draw with the club already out of the Premier League title race. The first leg will be played at Stamford Bridge, most likely behind closed doors, after the British government banned Chelsea from selling tickets for their home games.
However, season ticket holders were allowed to enter the stadium for matches.
Madrid will be imagining their chances against a Chelsea side reeling from sanctions imposed on the club and its owner Roman Abramovic over the oligarch’s alleged ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Carlo Ancelotti’s squad came back from 0-2, beating Paris Saint-Germain in the Round of 16 draw.
The winner of the draw will face the winner of the clash between Manchester City and Atlético Madrid with a possible semi-final of the derby in Madrid.
There is also a repeat of last season’s final if both Chelsea and Manchester City progress to the next round. Incidentally, Atlético defeated City’s bitter rivals Manchester United in their Round of 16 draw. Pep Guardiola’s City, on the other hand, defeated Sporting Lisbon in their Round of 16 draw.
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However, the draw will not be a walkover for City. With Liverpool at their backs in the Premier League, Guardiola won’t have the luxury of rotating his squad as often as he would before facing an Atletico known for his dogged approach to the game.
On the other side of the bracket, six-time winner Liverpool will face two-time champions Benfica. The winner of that draw will play against the winner of the other quarter-final between Europa League champions Villarreal and German giant Bayern Munich. Liverpool bravely overcame Inter Milan to reach the quarter-finals, while Benfica defeated Ajax. Villareal, meanwhile, defeated Juventus to advance to the quarter-finals, while Bayern crushed RB Salzburg to secure their place in the last eight.
The first leg of the quarter-finals is scheduled for April 7, while the return leg will take place on April 14.
This post UEFA Champions League: Crisis-stricken Chelsea draw Real Madrid in quarter-finals, Atlético return to Manchester to take on City
was original published at “https://www.financialexpress.com/sports/uefa-champions-league-crisis-hit-chelsea-draw-real-madrid-in-quarter-finals-atltico-return-to-manchester-to-face-city/2464961/”
