This Friday (17), UEFA held the draw that defined the clashes of the quarterfinals of the Champions League. The most anticipated duel will be between Man City and Bayern, which promises to be a great challenge for both teams.
Guardiola returns to Munich
Man City v Bayern in the Champions League quarter-finals
The Champions League is approaching the decisive stage, and the quarterfinal clashes promise great emotions. In addition to Real Madrid-Chelsea, another game that draws attention is City-Bayern, with the return game scheduled for the Allianz Arena, in Munich.
Bayern Munich is one of the most traditional teams and winners of the competition, having won the title on six occasions, the last one being in the 2019/2020 season. Manchester City, on the other hand, is one of the richest clubs in the world and is looking for its first European conquest.
Bayern Munich director Hasan Salihamidzic spoke about the match and highlighted the quality of the opponent. “I like it when we play against big teams, our players will be focused. It’s a small final. After PSG (in the Round of 16) comes another team with many qualities, for me the strongest. It was impressive against Leipzig”, he said , referring to the round of 16 match in which City won 7-0 on the return after drawing 1-1 in the first leg.
Last Tuesday, a football match was marked in the history of the sport. As well as the Norwegian Erling Haaland, who scored five goals and won the victory for his team. The player’s exceptional performance impressed everyone who followed the game.
Man City goal machine
Haaland is considered one of the best players on the planet, with incredible skills and a consistent performance in every match he takes part in. “He’s one of the best on the planet,” said Salihamidzic, one of the opposing team’s managers. “We already defended well against Paris but I think City are better now,” he added.
The duel between the two teams has a special meaning: the return to Munich of City coach Pep Guardiola. Guardiola managed the German team between 2013 and 2016, the year he was signed by the ‘Citizens’. So this reunion promises a lot of emotions, both for the fans and the players.
In addition, defending champions Real Madrid will face Chelsea, while Milan and Napoli and Inter Milan and Benfica complete the remaining quarter-final games. The first leg matches will be played on the 11th and 12th of April, and the second leg will take place on the 18th and 19th of the same month.
The winner of the confrontation between Man City and Bayern will face the classified of the duel between Real Madrid and Chelsea in the semifinals. However, the winners of Milan-Napoli and Inter-Benfica will dispute the other semi-final.
Real Madrid and Chelsea will replay the 2022 Champions League quarter-final clash. So on that occasion, Real Madrid won the spectacular duel 3-2 on aggregate, with a 3-1 victory in the first leg and a 2-1 loss in the second leg.
This time, Chelsea will have the opportunity to play the last match at home. However, the English team is not going through its best moment, despite the 600 million euros (637 million dollars) invested in signings.
With two of the last European champions facing each other, the expectation is for an exciting confrontation with a lot of rivalry. Real Madrid will seek to maintain its hegemony in the competition and continue in search of the third championship, while Chelsea will try to win the title for the second time in its history.
Real Madrid and Chelsea will play the matches on April 27th and 28th (first leg) and May 4th and 5th (return leg).
Final
Istanbul, Turkey, will host the Champions League grand final on June 10. The games promise a lot of emotion and will be a great challenge for the participating teams.