Friday’s UEFA Champions League draw has confirmed this edition’s quarterfinal ties and set out the semifinals as well as the final pathways for the eight remaining teams.
Guest Mikael Silvestre has provided mouthwatering Chelsea vs. Real Madrid and Manchester City vs. Atletico Madrid games as the English and Spanish elite go head-to-head as seek a semifinal berth.
You can catch all the matches live on CBS and Paramount+ with Villarreal vs. Bayern Munich and Benfica vs. Liverpool also out of the hat with Chelsea, City, Villarreal and Benfica home for the first legs.
The semifinals were also drawn and City or Atleti will face Chelsea or Real in what promises to be a stunning four-game run to Stade de France in Saint-Denis. Villarreal or Bayern will come up against Benfica or Liverpool for what could be a sensational German-English semi, but they would be foolish to write the Portuguese or Spaniards off after this week’s results.
Whoever emerges from that second side of the Champions League draw will be the “home” team in Paris come Saturday, May 28 for what should be a sensational matchup with Chelsea, Real, City or Atletico.
We break down each individual matchup and project all the way to the Stade de France final based on the paths drawn on Friday.
Champions League quarterfinal matchups
- Chelsea vs. Real Madrid
- Manchester City vs. Atletico Madrid
- Villarreal vs. Bayern Munich
- Benfica vs. Liverpool
Chelsea vs. Real Madrid
One of the two headline draws pits the defending champions against the Spanish giants. This could have been a reunion with Paris Saint-Germain for Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, instead it is a date with the most decorated club in the competition’s illustrious history with Los Blancos’ 13 titles to the Blues’ two. That these games might go ahead behind closed doors, as Chelsea continue to deal with the fall out from sanctions on owner Roman Abramovich, is a shame, but the fate of supporters for these two sensational matches will now depend upon the proposed sale of Chelsea before next month.
Manchester City vs. Atletico Madrid
Another English vs. Spanish royalty showdown features Pep Guardiola’s Premier League champions against a Diego Simeone side that manages to be both defending La Liga champions and perennial underdogs. An immediate return to Manchester beckons for Atleti after they disposed of United in the round of 16 and that success perfectly illustrates what Cholo’s men are all about. City, although favorites, have arguably landed the trickiest draw. Their potential reward? A titanic tussle with either Chelsea or Real, but do not overlook that it could also be a Madrid derby semifinal.
Villarreal vs. Bayern Munich
Unai Emery’s men and Benfica were arguably the two clubs that the others were hoping for pre-draw, and it is the Germans who have landed the Spaniards. Given that this one is away first and then home for Julian Nagelsmann’s side, they will want to avoid falling into the same trap as Juventus in the round of 16, given that it clearly played into Emery’s tactical masterplan. This one is by no means straightforward, but the Bavarians will be happy.
Benfica vs. Liverpool
This one is an all-red affair with the Portuguese giants rewarded for upsetting Ajax with the visit of Jurgen Klopp’s men. By no means an “easy” draw for the Premier League outfit, Benfica will need to be at their defensive best once more. However, despite Ajax’s free scoring form earlier in this edition, Liverpool’s attack is of superior quality, and they will be expected to advance over two legs.
Semifinals
It is hard to look past City or Atletico against Chelsea or Real with so much quality packed into those four teams. However, Liverpool against Bayern is another potential semi which could rival any of those potential matchups depending on the outcomes over two legs. Can City blast their way to the final, can Real take revenge on Chelsea for last season’s semifinal loss and can at least one of Villarreal or Benfica spring another surprise to reach the semis? So much to look forward to before the Paris final.
Champions League semifinal routes
- Manchester City or Atletico Madrid vs. Chelsea or Real Madrid
- Benfica or Liverpool vs. Villarreal or Bayern Munich
Champions League final
- Benfica, Liverpool, Villarreal or Bayern Munich vs. Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea or Real Madrid
Champions League dates
Quarterfinal first legs: April 5 and April 6
Quarterfinal second legs: April 12 and April 13
Semifinal first legs: April 26 and April 27
Semifinal second legs: May 3 and May 4
2022 Final: Saturday, May 28 at Stade de France, Saint-Denis
Europa League quarterfinal matchups
- Leipzig vs. Atalanta
- Frankfurt vs. Barcelona
- West Ham vs. Lyon
- Braga vs. Rangers
Europa League dates
Quarterfinal first legs: April 7
Quarterfinal second legs: April 14
Semifinal first legs: April 28
Semifinal second legs: May 5
2022 Final: Wednesday, May 18 at Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium, Seville
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism