World

City face Bayern, Chelsea drawn with Real, with United in Europa League draws

Patrick Kluivert - Getty Images/Fabrice Coffrini

Patrick Kluivert – Getty Images/Fabrice Coffrini

Chelsea will face holders Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Graham Potter’s side saw off Borussia Dortmund to reach the last eight, while Madrid – managed by former Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti – beat Liverpool.

Manchester City, who are unbeaten in this season’s competition, were drawn against manager Pep Guardiola’s former club Bayern Munich.

If both Chelsea and City progress, they will meet in the semi-final – a repeat of the 2021 final which Chelsea won 1-0.

The rest of the draw sees Benfica face Inter and a Serie A derby between AC Milan and Napoli.

Follow the reaction and Europa League draws below…

11:34 AM

It probably should not the focus but…

Arsenal will not be displeased to see City paired with Bayern Munich before a possible semi-final against Chelsea or Real Madrid. With City odds-on to reach the FA Cup semi-finals (they play Burnley at home on Saturday), the big games are stacking up at the end of April. City host Arsenal in the league on the Wednesday after the FA Cup semis.

Those runs can build momentum or drain. Time will tell.

11:20 AM

The semi-finals have also been drawn

Milan/Napoli vs Inter/Benfica

Real Madrid/Chelsea vs Man City/Bayern Munich.

Both English clubs are on the hard side of the draw. There is also the possibility of a Milan derby in the semi-finals. Benfica have been superb in this competition under Roger Schmidt and should not be discounted.

11:17 AM

The final quarter-final

Is an all-Italian tie between AC Milan and Napoli.

Napoli will be confident they have enough to get through that one.

11:16 AM

Manchester City are out…

…they will play Bayern Munich!

Pep Guardiola up against his former club. Joao Cancelo back at the Etihad a few months after leaving.

Bayern Munich's Spanish headcoach Pep Guardiola gets a beer shower as the team celebrates wining their 25th Bundesliga title - AFP/Christof Stache

Bayern Munich’s Spanish headcoach Pep Guardiola gets a beer shower as the team celebrates wining their 25th Bundesliga title – AFP/Christof Stache

11:16 AM

The next quarter-final

Inter vs Benfica. Both teams will be happy with that one.

11:14 AM

The first tie out…

Is Real Madrid vs Chelsea!

A repeat of last season’s quarter-final.

Chelsea's Mason Mount looks dejected after the match - Reuters/Paul Childs

Chelsea’s Mason Mount looks dejected after the match – Reuters/Paul Childs

11:13 AM

Here we go…

The draw is about to commence imminently. This is a completely open draw, no country protection.

The team out of the bowl first will play their first leg at home. In the case of the Milan clubs, the fixtures could be reversed if they are both drawn at home first.

11:12 AM

Patrick Kluivert is our next guest

AC Milan are the only one of his former clubs still in the draw at the quarter-final stage.

Kluivert became the youngest player to score in a Champions League final when he scored Ajax’s winner against Milan in 1995.

11:07 AM

Giorgio Marchetti is on the stage

We are getting closer to the moment when the balls are drawn.

Hamit Altintop is the special guest to assist with the draw. This year’s Champions League final is in Istanbul.

11:02 AM

The Champions League draw is now under way

Well, the montage of the quarter-finalists’ best moments has started at least.

10:58 AM

A reminder of Man Utd’s possible opponents in the Europa League

  • Roma

  • Juventus

  • Bayer Leverkusen

  • Sporting CP

  • Sevilla

  • Feyenoord

  • Union Saint Gilloise

United are strong favourites for the competition following Arsenal’s elimination. Juventus and Bayer Leverkusen will stir memories of 1999 and 2002 Champions League semi-finals, while a reunion with Jose Mourinho and Roma would be tasty. Sevilla beat Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s United in the Europa semis three years ago, in that very weird summer lockdown knockout competition in Germany.

10:51 AM

Well, when we say ‘all set’

There will be the usual preamble as the club representatives are picked out before the balls are picked out. Remember there are no restrictions on the draw at this stage now. Teams that have played each other before in the groups and teams from the same country can be drawn together. There was an epic Milan derby in the 2003 semi-final and though the calibre of today’s squads is nowhere near as stellar, it would be a fantastic couple of nights at San Siro if we got another Madonnina.

10:42 AM

They’re all set at Nyon

Looks like Patrick Kluivert is doing the draw.

Never need much of an excuse to show this:

10:01 AM

Luck of the draw

Good morning and welcome to live coverage of the quarter-final draws for the Champions League (11am GMT), Europa League (12noon) and, if you have got the stamina, Conference League (1pm) live and direct from Nyon, ‘The House of European Football’ and dear old Pedro Pinto. In all three tournaments the semi-final draw will take place immediately after the quarter-final ties are allocated.

Eight teams are left in each competition and each is only two steps away from Istanbul … or Budapest … or Prague. In the Champions League we have 14-time winners Real Madrid, seven-time winners Milan, six-time champions Bayern Munich, three-time winners Inter, two-time champs Benfica and Chelsea plus our two light blue virgins Manchester City and Napoli. It’s the first time in 17 years that three Serie A sides have made it through but, the great history and pedigree of the Milan giants notwithstanding, Napoli provide the sternest test not just of the trio but in the draw. It’s not just fans of their opponents who would rightly quail at the prospect of a trip to Stadio Diego Armando Maradona but the teams will, too.

There are some mouth-watering prospects there because it’s a free draw – City could play Chelsea in a re-run of the 2021 final, we could have a Milan derby, Chelsea could do a 2012 repeat by taking on Bayern Munich. Pep could face Real, Benfica vs Milan would remind us of the curse of Bela Guttman … the possibilities are endless

In the Europa League Manchester United, Juventus, Feyenoord and, you could knock me down with a feather, Sevilla qualified from Thursday’s early kick-offs. (Shall we start a petition to demand if they win it for a seventh time in 17 years for it to be renamed the Uefa Sevilla League?) Joining them from the late kick-offs are Bayer Leverkusen, Roma, Union Saint-Gilloise and Sporting. A reunion with Jose Mourinho for United would be tasty, or Sevilla versus anyone is always worth a watch.

Fiorentina, Gent, Lech Poznan and Basel put themselves in the hat for the Conference League quarter-final draw on Thursday evening where they were joined by AZ, Nice, Anderlecht and West Ham United three hours later.

Stay tuned to discover their fate.