UEFA Champions League Quarterfinal draw: Chelsea face Real Madrid; Liverpool take on Benfica

Chelsea were drawn against Real Madrid while Manchester City and Liverpool will face Atletico Madrid and SL Benfica, respectively, in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

The draw for the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals took place in Switzerland on Friday, and it has thrown our way some stunning match-ups.

The biggest tie of the Last Eight stage of the Champions League will see reigning champions Chelsea square off against record winners Real Madrid, with the first leg set to be played at Stamford Bridge. The Blues made it to this phase after easing past LOSC Lille while Los Blancos pulled off a stunning comeback to eliminate PSG in the Round of 16.

The second quarter-final draw also saw English and Spanish clubs pairing up. Last season’s finalists and current Premier League champions Manchester City will be facing off against the incumbent La Liga holders Atletico Madrid, who eliminated the Cityzens’ neighbours, Manchester United, in the Round of 16.  

German champions Bayern Munich were handed a relatively easy tie against Unai Emery’s Villarreal, although the Bavarians will need to be wary of the La Liga side as they managed to oust Juventus in the previous round of the Champions League. The final draw of the quarter-finals saw Liverpool get paired with Portuguese giants SL Benfica, who got the better of AFC Ajax in the Last 16 phase.

The quarter-finals are set! ✔️

What's your reaction to the draw?#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/Je3NQHabuy

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 18, 2022

As for the draws for the semi-finals, the winners of the first quarter-final will face the winners of the second quarter-final, with the latter set to host the first leg. It could set up for a tasty clash as there is a possibility of a Madrid derby taking place or a repeat of last season’s final between Chelsea and Manchester City.

The winners of the fourth quarter-final, i.e., either Liverpool or Benfica, will host the first leg of the second semi-final against the winners of the tie between Villarreal and Bayern Munich. It could see Jurgen Klopp come up against his former rivals in Die Roten.

Complete Draw

Quarter-final Draw

QF1: Chelsea vs Real Madrid

QF2: Manchester City vs Atletico Madrid

QF3: Villarreal vs Bayern Munich

QF4: SL Benfica vs Liverpool

Semi-final Draw

SF1: Manchester City/Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea/Real Madrid 

SF2: Benfica/Liverpool vs Villarreal/Bayern Munich

Final Draw

SF2 vs SF1

The first leg matches of the quarter-final ties will be played out on April 5 and April 6, with the second leg encounters pencilled in for April 12 and April 13. As for the semi-final encounters, the first legs will be held on April 26 and 27, while the second legs will take place on May 3 and 4.

The final will be held at Stade de France, on May 28, after being moved from Saint Petersburg due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.