FC Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund avoid probably the toughest opponents in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. The Munich team will face Premier League leaders FC Arsenal. BVB meets Atlético Madrid. This was the result of the draw at the European Football Union headquarters in Nyon on Friday. A German final between the two Bundesliga heavyweights in London, like in 2013, is possible thanks to the draw. Record winners Real Madrid compete in a giant duel with defending champions Manchester City coached by Pep Guardiola. The quarter-finals are completed by the pairing Paris Saint-Germain against FC Barcelona. In a possible semi-final, Bayern would face Real or Man City, Dortmund would face PSG or Barcelona.
Bayer Leverkusen, the last German representative in the Europa League, will face Freiburg conqueror West Ham United in the quarter-finals.
The quarter-final first legs will be played on April 9th and 10th, with the second legs scheduled for a week later. The semi-finals will follow between April 30th and May 8th. The big goal of all eight remaining teams is the final at Wembley Stadium in London on June 1st. “The path is now clear to Wembley. From now on everything is possible,” said Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel. Bayer Leverkusen would face AC Milan or AS Roma in the semi-finals. The quarter-final games in the Europa League will be played on April 11th and 18th.
The Munich team had failed in the quarter-finals in each of the past three years. In 2021 the final stop was against Paris Saint-Germain, and a year later outsiders FC Villarreal had the upper hand. Last year, eventual title winners Manchester City prevailed against Munich. For the German record champions, the premier class is probably the last chance for the title before head coach Tuchel leaves at the end of the season. In the Bundesliga, Bayern are ten points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen and were eliminated early in the DFB Cup.
Borussia Dortmund is among the top eight teams in the Champions League for the first time since 2021. By progressing against PSV Eindhoven, the Westphalians at least for a while banished the frustration of a so far mixed season.
Bundesliga rivals RB Leipzig, on the other hand, unfortunately failed in the round of 16 against Real Madrid. For the debutants 1. FC Union Berlin it was over after the group phase.
