Champions League

Arsenal to face Bayern Munich in CL quarters, Manchester City draw Real Madrid

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 15 March 2024

Arsenal to face Bayern in CL quarters, Man City draw Real Madrid

Arsenal are drawn against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, while Manchester City will battle Real Madrid.

Arsenal have been drawn against familiar foes Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, while Manchester City face Real Madrid in a mouthwatering encounter.

The Gunners banished their last-16 curse with a dramatic penalty-shootout success over Porto in the previous round, thereby advancing to the last eight of the tournament for the first time since the 2009-10 tournament.

Arsenal had suffered seven successive last-16 exits since that campaign 14 years ago, three of which came at the hands of Bayern, whom the Gunners now have another chance at revenge over after excruciating eliminations in the 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2016-17 campaigns.

Mikel Arteta's men will welcome Thomas Tuchel's side - who bested Lazio 3-1 on aggregate in the last 16 - to the Emirates for the first leg on April 9 or 10, one week before visiting the Allianz Arena for the return fixture on April 16 or 17.

The opening encounter between Arsenal and Bayern will see ex-Tottenham Hotspur forward and former Gunners academy graduate Harry Kane make his return to North London, where Serge Gnabry will also visit his old stomping ground.

Whichever team progresses to the semi-finals will have to pit their wits against either 14-time winners Real Madrid or current champions Manchester City, who lock horns in the pick of the quarter-final ties.

Manchester City's Julian Alvarez celebrates scoring with teammates on March 6, 2024 © Reuters

Pep Guardiola's men strolled to a 6-2 aggregate beating of Copenhagen in the first knockout phase to earn a date with Real, who scraped by RB Leipzig 2-1 over two legs and will host the first leg at the Bernabeu.

The Citizens and Blancos' quarter-final encounter will mark a repeat of last year's semi-final, which Guardiola's men won 5-1 on aggregate after a chaotic 6-5 loss to Carlo Ancelotti's side in the quarter-finals of the 2021-22 edition.

Elsewhere, Paris Saint-Germain - 4-1 victors over Real Sociedad in the last 16 - will do battle with Barcelona, the former team of manager Luis Enrique, who led the Blaugrana to their most recent Champions League crown in 2015.

The current Parisiens boss also oversaw Barcelona's breathtaking 6-1 comeback win over PSG in the last 16 of the 2016-17 tournament, but the French champions prevailed 5-2 over two legs at the same stage of the 2020-21 Champions League.

The victors of PSG and Barcelona's tie will be in semi-final action against Atletico Madrid or Borussia Dortmund, who pit their wits against one another in knockout action for the first time in the Champions League's current format.

The winners of the first semi-final between Atletico/Dortmund and PSG/Barcelona have also been designated as the home team for June's final, where Arsenal/Bayern or Real Madrid/Man City will arrive as the visitors for administrative purposes.