And the draws are out. Club football's most prestigious tournament has been narrowed down to just eight teams. The draws were largely dominated by the Premier League with four clubs making it to the final eight after a decade while Spain, Portugal, Italy, and the Netherlands had one each.
We also learned who would face who in the semifinals as clubs, players and fans alike will be able to go through the permutations to see who they might end up facing should they reach the next knockout stage.
Ajax, who sensationally knocked out defending champions Real Madrid in what is considered as one of the biggest upsets in the history of the competition, take on Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus, who made a comeback of their own against Atletico Madrid.
Last year’s finalists Liverpool were paired with Porto, while Manchester United lock horns with Lionel Messi’s Barcelona for the first time since the Champions League final in 2011.
Tottenham and Manchester City will face each other in an all-English quarter-final.
So let's take a look at some of the winners and losers of the draw.
Winners - Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus
After producing one of the greatest comebacks against Atletico Madrid, Juventus will be pleased with their draw. No doubt, Ajax cannot be taken for granted after their heroics in the previous round. But Juventus may have too much quality and experience at their disposal for a young Ajax side.
With the winner taking on the winner of Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, Ronaldo will be confident of guiding Juventus to their third Champions League final in five years.
Loser - Tottenham Hotspur
With four English clubs making it to the quarterfinals, an all-English encounter was in the making and Tottenham got the worst of it as they drew Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.
City won both of their Premier League ties with Tottenham last season and also beat Mauricio Pochettino’s side at Wembley earlier in this campaign. The two sides will meet each other three times in 12 days, with the Premier League game at the Etihad scheduled for 20 April. And with the winner likely to take on Juventus, it does not get any easier.
Winner - Liverpool
Jürgen Klopp's prayers may have been answered as Liverpool received arguably the most favourable draw after being paired with Porto. The Reds will be confident of making it to the final four after they demolished Porto 5-0 on agg. last season in the round of 16.
Manchester United and Liverpool could meet in semi-finals but unlike Liverpool, United’s path to the final four isn't so easy.
Winner/Loser - FC Barcelona
If Barcelona were drawn against Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United, Barcelona would definitely consider themselves as winners of the draw but under interim manager Ole Solskjaer, things could get a little complicated. United were part of a comeback of their own as they knocked out one of the tournament favourites, Paris Saint-German. United’s tie against Barcelona means Ole will enjoy another trip to the Nou Camp, where he scored the winner in their 1999 Champions League final win over Bayern Munich.
But you cannot label Barcelona as losers either with a firing Lionel Messi within their ranks. A mouthwatering clash awaits us.
The first legs of the quarter-finals will take place on 9 and 10 April, with the second legs on 16 and 17 April.
We also learned who would face who in the semifinals as clubs, players and fans alike will be able to go through the permutations to see who they might end up facing should they reach the next knockout stage.
Ajax, who sensationally knocked out defending champions Real Madrid in what is considered as one of the biggest upsets in the history of the competition, take on Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus, who made a comeback of their own against Atletico Madrid.
Last year’s finalists Liverpool were paired with Porto, while Manchester United lock horns with Lionel Messi’s Barcelona for the first time since the Champions League final in 2011.
Tottenham and Manchester City will face each other in an all-English quarter-final.
So let's take a look at some of the winners and losers of the draw.
Winners - Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus
After producing one of the greatest comebacks against Atletico Madrid, Juventus will be pleased with their draw. No doubt, Ajax cannot be taken for granted after their heroics in the previous round. But Juventus may have too much quality and experience at their disposal for a young Ajax side.
With the winner taking on the winner of Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, Ronaldo will be confident of guiding Juventus to their third Champions League final in five years.
Loser - Tottenham Hotspur
With four English clubs making it to the quarterfinals, an all-English encounter was in the making and Tottenham got the worst of it as they drew Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.
City won both of their Premier League ties with Tottenham last season and also beat Mauricio Pochettino’s side at Wembley earlier in this campaign. The two sides will meet each other three times in 12 days, with the Premier League game at the Etihad scheduled for 20 April. And with the winner likely to take on Juventus, it does not get any easier.
Winner - Liverpool
Jürgen Klopp's prayers may have been answered as Liverpool received arguably the most favourable draw after being paired with Porto. The Reds will be confident of making it to the final four after they demolished Porto 5-0 on agg. last season in the round of 16.
Manchester United and Liverpool could meet in semi-finals but unlike Liverpool, United’s path to the final four isn't so easy.
Winner/Loser - FC Barcelona
If Barcelona were drawn against Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United, Barcelona would definitely consider themselves as winners of the draw but under interim manager Ole Solskjaer, things could get a little complicated. United were part of a comeback of their own as they knocked out one of the tournament favourites, Paris Saint-German. United’s tie against Barcelona means Ole will enjoy another trip to the Nou Camp, where he scored the winner in their 1999 Champions League final win over Bayern Munich.
But you cannot label Barcelona as losers either with a firing Lionel Messi within their ranks. A mouthwatering clash awaits us.
The first legs of the quarter-finals will take place on 9 and 10 April, with the second legs on 16 and 17 April.
