The Champions League roadmap has been planned out for the remainder of the 2022/23 season as teams have a clearer look at the challenges ahead of the final in Istanbul in June. The draw for the final eight teams in the competition not only includes the quarter-finals, but the semi-final bracket and which order the final will be in.
The last eight teams consist of Napoli, AC Milan and Inter Milan representing Italy; Chelsea and Manchester City from England; Real Madrid of Spain; Bayern Munich from Germany; and Benfica being the sole team left in the competition from Portugal. All of those teams will believe they have what it takes to earn the trophy in a few months.
With the draw now completed, there may be a shift in expectation for which sides may make the final and which ones will miss out. The first quarter-final drawn out of the hat was Real Madrid against Chelsea, a tie that has been played over the past two editions of the competition.
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The most recent meeting was last year at the same stage, where a dramatic two-legged affair took extra-time to split the two teams apart, with Los Blancos coming out on top. After that, Manchester City were pitted against Bayern Munich, creating a huge match between the two favourites for the competition.
Pep Guardiola faces his former side, whom he won the Champions League with, in a potentially season-defining couple of games. The winner of those two quarter-finals will then face each other in a tough bracket of the draw before they reach the final later this year.
Meanwhile, Inter Milan will face Benfica, while it will be an all-Italian clash with AC Milan drawn against Napoli.
The winner of those games will face each other before making it to the final, creating a huge opportunity for any of those sides to reach it for the first time in years.
Draw in full:
Quarter-finals:
Real Madrid vs Chelsea
Benfica vs Inter Milan
Manchester City vs Bayern Munich
AC Milan vs Napoli
Semi-finals:
Real Madrid or Chelsea vs Manchester City or Bayern Munich
AC Milan or Napoli vs Benfica or Inter Milan
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