Champions League quarter-final draw pits Madrid clubs against Premier League sides
Nyon, Switzerland - Friday's Champions League quarter-finals draw set up a clash between Chelsea and its former coach Carlo Ancelotti as the Blues will face record winners Real Madrid.
![The draw for the Champions League quarter-finals was held in Nyon, Switzerland, on Friday.](https://media.tag24.de/951x634/8/x/8xc7ps80fdmi2gkig3ar5id9ahjmmi9t.jpg)
Atlético Madrid, meanwhile, return to Manchester to face last year's finalists City, after eliminating Man Utd in the last 16.
The winners of those April 5/6 and 12/13 ties will then meet in the semi-finals April 26/27 and May 3/4 which could lead to a repeat of the 2021 final or a Madrid derby.
Six-time winners Liverpool and Bayern Munich were drawn to play away first, at Benfica and Europa League champions Villarreal, respectively.
The two winners make up the other semi-final en route to the May 28 final at the Stade de France, in a move of location as St Petersburg was stripped of the game after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Chelsea have never lost against 13-time champs Real Madrid in Europe, winning three matches and drawing the other two, and beating them 3-1 on aggregate in last year's semi-finals.
Ancelotti coached the Blues from 2009 to 2011 and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and often injured Eden Hazard are two former Chelsea players now within Real's ranks.
Outsiders eying upsets
![Jan Vertonghen and Nicolas Otamendi celebrate Benfica's win at Ajax (l.); Giovani Lo Celso and Raul Albiol after Villarreal's shock victory over Juventus.](https://media.tag24.de/951x634/2/j/2jd90bnpsub48x8dg0nd02h529bi9s71.jpg)
Bayern board member sport Hasan Salihamidzic said they would not underestimate Villarreal, who advanced with an impressive 3-0 win at Juventus in mid-week.
"I played at Juventus and know how difficult it is to get a 3-0 victory there. We are up against a good team and should not underestimate this challenge," he said.
A Bayern vs. Liverpool semi could be on the cards, but the Reds can not afford to underestimate Benfica who eliminated them in their last meeting in 2005-06.
"It was a difficult draw, challenging for us," Benfica director Luisão told uefa.com.
"In 2006 we faced Liverpool and they were the holders, and we went through. Liverpool are a very strong team. They have high-level players, also in defense, but where they are strongest is really the attack."
Atlético captain Koke meanwhile said that Pep Guardiola's City are a big task but was confident that his coach Diego Simeone "will come up with a strong plan to get us through the tie."
"They’re one of the favorites. Last season, they came very close to winning the Champions League. They have a great coach and players, and play great football, but we like that sort of challenge," Koke said.
Cover photo: IMAGO / NurPhoto