20th March, 2015
Paris St. Germain, PSG and FC Barcelona have been drawn to square it up in the quarter finals of this year’s Champions League.
In the draw held this afternoon in Lyon, Switzerland, the French club that stopped Arsenal from progressing in the first knockout stage will be at home first against the Spanish giants, Barcelona.
PSG and Barcelona met in this season’s group stage, the French team winning 3-2 at the Parce des Princes, but losing 3-1 at the Camp Nou. They also met in the 2012/13 quarter-finals, Barcelona prevailing on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate draw.
Champions League holders Real Madrid will face local rivals Atletico Madrid – the team they beat in last season’s final – in the quarter-finals of this season’s competition. Los Blancos needed extra-time to beat Diego Simeone’s men in May but the two Madrid sides will face each other again next month.
Aside from last year’s final, which Real Madrid won 4-1 in Lisbon, Atlético and the Whites also met in the 1958/59 semi-finals, the Merengues triumphing 2-1 in a replay after a 2-2 draw. Atlético’s record against their rivals since that Lisbon decider will give them cause for optimism. The teams have met six times in all competitions this season – Spanish Super Cup, Liga and Copa del Rey – with Real Madrid yet to register a win. The 2014 final in Lisbon, when Real Madrid won their tenth European Cup, is one of UEFA’s 60 Legendary Moments.
Elsewhere, FC Bayern München have been drawn against Portuguese side FC Porto in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.Pep Guardiola’s side thumped FC Shakhtar Donetsk 7-0 in their last-16 second-leg tie to book their place in the last eight of the tournament for the 14th time in their history. Porto defeated Bayern 2-1 in the 1987 European Cup final in Vienna. Rabah Madjer’s brilliant back-heel is another of UEFA’s Legendary Moments. Bayern eliminated Porto in the 1990/91 and 1999/2000 quarter-finals, 3-1 and 3-2 on aggregate respectively.
In other fixture, Italian giants, Juventus will take on Monaco. Juventus were 6-4 aggregate winners against Monaco in the 1997/98 UEFA Champions League semi-finals.