Real draw Atletico as PSG defy Barca in CL last eight

Published March 21, 2015
Nyon: UEFA secretary general Gianni Infantino (L) and the ambassador for the UEFA Champions League final in Berlin Karl-Heinz Riedle hold the draw for the Champions League quarter-finals on Friday.—AFP
Nyon: UEFA secretary general Gianni Infantino (L) and the ambassador for the UEFA Champions League final in Berlin Karl-Heinz Riedle hold the draw for the Champions League quarter-finals on Friday.—AFP

NYON: Holders Real Madrid will have to overcome city rivals Atletico in the Champions League quarter-finals, in a repeat of last year’s final, while Barcelona face familiar opponents in Paris Saint-Germain after the draw made Friday in Nyon.

Portuguese giants Porto host Bayern Munich of Germany in the first leg of their last eight match up while Italian champions Juventus welcome the Monaco side who knocked out English side Arsenal in midweek.

Sergio Ramos equalised in the dying minutes in Lisbon last year to send the final to extra-time before Real prevailed 4-1 over Diego Simeone’s Atletico for their 10th European crown.

Real’s legendary striker and current director of institutional relations at the club Emilio Butragueno thinks the tie is finely poised.

Barcelona and PSG met in the group stages with both teams winning their respective home ties while they also met in the 2013 quarter-finals when the Spaniards prevailed on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate draw.

The French champions will be without suspended star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic for the first leg after the Swede was given a one-match ban following his sending off in the last-16 victory over Chelsea.

Finally Serie A leaders Juventus, who won the competition in 1985 and 1996, take on 2004 finalists Monaco with the first leg scheduled for Turin.

Draws (first leg):

April 14: Atletico Madrid (ESP) v Real Madrid (ESP)

Juventus (ITA) v Monaco (FRA)

April 15: Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) v Barcelona (ESP)

Porto (POR) v Bayern Munich (FER)

Return leg:

April 21: Barcelona (ESP) v Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)

Bayern Munich (FER) v Porto (POR)

April 22: Real Madrid (ESP) v Atletico Madrid (ESP)

Monaco (FRA) v Juventus (ITA)

HOLDERS SEVILLA HEAD TO RUSSIA

Holders Sevilla will have to win in Russia to keep their defence on track after the Spanish side were drawn to play Zenit St Petersburg in the Europa League quarter-finals on Friday in Nyon, Switzerland.

In-form Bundesliga side Wolfsburg host Napoli in the first leg of their last-eight matchup while Dynamo Kiev await the second Italian side Fiorentina.

Wolfsburg, who lie second in the German top flight, and fourth-placed Serie A outfit Napoli have never met previously in European competition.

The 2009 German champions enjoyed their best run in the competition in 2010, when they reached the quarter-finals, while Napoli memorably won the former UEFA Cup in 1989 when Diego Maradona inspired them to a 5-4 aggregate victory over Stuttgart.

Finally Club Brugge face a tricky task as they were drawn to take on Ukraine’s Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.

Sevilla, who crushed domestic rivals Villarreal 5-2 on aggregate to reach the last eight, have met the 2008 winners four times including a quarter-final triumph in 2006 when they went on to win the UEFA Cup.

Sevilla have beaten opposition from Ukraine three times in four matches while Zenit have not beaten a Spanish team in their last seven fixtures and have won just twice in 14 matchups against Liga opposition. First leg matches will be played April 16 with the return fixtures on April 23. The final takes place at Warsaw on May 27.

Draws (teams listed first play first leg at home):

Sevilla (ESP) v Zenit St Petersburg (RUS); Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (UKR) v Club Brugge (BEL); Dynamo Kiev (UKR) v Fiorentina (ITA); Wolfsburg (GER) v Napoli (ITA).

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2015

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