Champions League quarter-final draw: Chelsea, Liverpool & Man City learn next opponents
The draw for the remainder of the 2020/21 Champions League has been made, with Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea learning their potential routes to Istanbul.
This is the second time in three years that at least three English teams have reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League, with the 2018/19 campaign seeing all four still in the competition en route to an all-Premier League final.
Who awaits Premier League clubs in the 2020/21 Champions League quarter-finals?
- Liverpool: Real Madrid
- Man City: Borussia Dortmund
- Chelsea: Porto
Liverpool were the first English team to secure their spot in the final eight, pushing their domestic woes to one side to beat RB Leipzig 4-0 on aggregate, winning 2-0 in each leg. It’s the third time in four years they have reached this stage, with the previous two occasions seeing Jurgen Klopp’s side go all the way to the final. But to replicate that task, they’ll have to face 13-time European Cup winners Real Madrid, who beat them in one of those finals.
Los Blancos were made to work hard for their place in the quarter-finals but eventually overcame Atalanta 4-1 on aggregate after an open second leg in which their Champions League experience shone through.
Man City also cruised through the last-16 against German opposition, beating Borussia Monchengladbach 4-0 across to legs in their quest to win the quadruple. This is just the fifth time in their history that Man City have reached the quarter-final of the Champions League, and three of the previous four occasions have seen them go no further including last season. Standing in their way are Borussia Dortmund, who won a thrilling tie against Sevilla 5-4 and boast Erling Haaland who will be looking to now beat the former club of his father.
Thomas Tuchel’s turnaround at Chelsea saw them ease past La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid, winning 3-0 on aggregate to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2013/14, a fall for the club that had played in seven semi-finals in 11 years between 2004 and 2014. They had the most favourable, but also potentially difficult tie of the English teams, drawn against Porto who beat Juventus on away goals after an excellent second leg.
The final tie brings a repeat of the 2020 Champions League final, with defending champions Bayern Munich drawn against Paris Saint-Germain, looking for a repeat of the victory that saw them win their sixth title last summer. Bayern had a comfortable ride in the last-16, beating Lazio 6-2 over the two legs while PSG vanquished the remontada and thrashed Barcelona 5-2.
The draw for the semi-final was also made, with Bayern Munich or PSG taking on one of Man City or Dortmund, while Real Madrid or Liverpool will face Porto or Chelsea.
The final will be held at Istanbul’s Ataturk Olympic Stadium on Saturday 29 May.
2020/21 Champions League quarter-final draw in full:
Manchester City vs Borussia Dortmund
Porto vs Chelsea
Bayern Munich vs Paris Saint-Germain
Real Madrid vs Liverpool
OFFICIAL: The #UCL quarter-final draw:
🏴 Man City vs. Dortmund 🇩🇪
🇵🇹 FC Porto vs. Chelsea 🏴
🇩🇪 Bayern Munich vs. PSG 🇫🇷
🇪🇸 Real Madrid vs. Liverpool 🏴Some tasty fixtures. 👀 pic.twitter.com/XwrfpOMRye
— Play Squawka Selector for Free (@Squawka_Live) March 19, 2021
2020/21 Champions League semi-final draw in full:
Bayern Munich/Paris Saint-Germain vs Manchester City/Borussia Dortmund
Real Madrid/Liverpool vs Porto/Chelsea
The first legs of the Champions League semi-finals will be played on 27 and 28 April, with the return fixtures on 4 and 5 May.
