Champions League quarter-finals confirmed: PSG face Liverpool, Real Madrid draw Bayern as Arsenal land Sporting
Wednesday's second legs wrapped up the Champions League round of 16, and the quarter-final picture is now complete. Eight teams remain, the draw was made back on February 27, and the matchups look mouth-watering.
The four quarter-final ties
Paris Saint-Germain vs Liverpool leads the bill. PSG demolished Chelsea 8-2 on aggregate to reach this stage, while Liverpool overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit by beating Galatasaray 4-0 at Anfield. Two attacking heavyweights going head to head over two legs.
Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich is the tie neutrals will circle. Madrid battered Manchester City 5-1 on aggregate, with Federico Valverde's first-leg hat-trick doing most of the damage. Bayern, who hit Atalanta for six in the first leg, are in fine form too. This one has a final feel about it already.
Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid is an all-Spanish affair. Barcelona put seven past Newcastle on Wednesday night to win 8-3 on aggregate, while Atletico thrashed Tottenham 5-2 in their first leg and advanced comfortably. Diego Simeone against Hansi Flick will be a tactical chess match.
Arsenal vs Sporting CP rounds out the draw. Eberechi Eze's stunner helped Arsenal beat Leverkusen 3-1 on aggregate, and Sporting qualified as one of the top seeds from the league phase. Mikel Arteta's side will be favourites, but Sporting have already shown they can handle big European nights.
Schedule and dates
The first legs take place on April 7 and 8, with the return fixtures on April 14 and 15. The semi-final draw has also already been made, so teams know the full path to the final in Budapest on May 30.
Who got knocked out?
Chelsea, Manchester City, Newcastle, Galatasaray, Atalanta, Leverkusen, and Tottenham are all out. English football's dominance in Europe took a hit this week, with only Liverpool and Arsenal surviving.
