As expected, the eight top clubs remaining in the competition made it through to the quarterfinals with no upsets occurring in the Round of 16 stage. Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Manchester City faced less trouble in their tie. However, the Gunners required a penalty shootout to get past FC Porto while Atletico required a comeback win against Inter. The competition now enters the crunching period in which some of the big hitters are guaranteed to take an exit from the contest.
The most successful side in the competition, Real Madrid, will be making their 38th appearance in the quarterfinals including qualifying for the fourth consecutive season. Their rivals Barcelona have advanced to the last eight stage after three seasons while Atletico Madrid is entering for the 12th time. Meanwhile, Arsenal are returning to the Champions League quarter finals after 14 years, which will be their seventh appearance in this stage. For holders Manchester City, this is their seventh consecutive quarterfinal appearance. The draw for the quarterfinals and semifinals of the Champions League 2023/24 was made on Friday, 15 March 2024.
Here are the Champions League 2023/24 quarterfinals and semi final draws in detail:
Quarterfinals
Atletico Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund
Atletico Madrid have not suffered defeat in their last 17 Champions League knockout matches at home and will want to maintain it when they take on Borussia Dortmund. The 1996/97 winners also suffered on their last visit to Wanda Metropolitano in 2018 but were able to thrash the club from Spain’s capital 4-0 at home in the reverse clash the same year. Atletico has not made the semi-finals since 2016-17 while Dortmund are without one in 11 years making the clash an exciting one.
Arsenal vs Bayern Munich
Another intriguing tie will be Arsenal facing Bayern Munich for the fourth time in the Champions League knockouts. The Gunners have found little joy in this tie as the German giants came up top each time, more often than any other club, also causing their last elimination from the competition back in 2016/17. Overall, Arsenal has managed just two wins in 12 meetings with Bayern scoring five goals in each of the last three. Mikel Arteta’s side will also have to be careful about their nemesis Harry Kane who has scored more Premier League goals against them than any other player to break the record of the being only side to have participated in more knockout fixtures than any team and not lifted the trophy.
Barcelona vs PSG
Barcelona taking on Paris Saint Germain in the Champions League will bring some unforgettable moments not only for the tie but the competition as a whole. The clash will be remembered for the famous ‘Remontada’ in 2017 when the Catalan giants fought from 4-0 down in the first leg to win the second leg 6-1 at Camp Nou with almost the last kick of the game. It was the largest comeback in Champions League history. The French giants also had their say, being the last side to knock Barcelona out of Champions League knockouts with Kylian Mbappe bagging a hattrick in the second leg of the tie played in 2021. This will be the 14th meeting between the sides awaiting a new story to be written.
Real Madrid vs Manchester City
For the third consecutive time, record champions Real Madrid will take on holders Manchester City in the knockout stage of the Champions League. The Premier League winners have dominated the tie recently by eliminating Los Blancos in two of the last three seasons and collected five wins in seven games since 2020. However, Carlo Ancelloti made a miraculous comeback in the semi-final stage in 2022 which was the sole victory picked in that period. Real Madrid has failed to progress to the last-four place only twice since the 2010-11 campaign whereas City will be aiming for a fourth successive appearance at the stage.
Semi-final
Atletico Madrid/ Borussia Dortmund vs FC Barcelona/PSG
The first semi-final could be an all-Spanish affair between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona which will have ramifications for both club’s qualification for the Club World Cup. A Dortmund-PSG meeting will be the third one in four years.
Real Madrid/Manchester City vs Arsenal/Bayern Munich
A classic Champions League encounter between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich could be in store. However, the Premier League affair between Manchester City and Arsenal could bring an extra-spice with both also involved in the fight for the domestic title.
