FOOTBALL – As the UEFA Champions League reaches the next stage, the anticipation among football fans is palpable, with the draw for the Quarter Finals scheduled to take place tomorrow at 12 noon.
Last night, the remaining teams battled it our for the final 2 spots in the last 8. Dortmund won 2-0 (3-1 on aggregate) against PSV with goals coming in the first 3 minutes, and again 5 minutes into stoppage time. Diego Simeone´s team took the game against Inter to extra time and then penalties thanks to a goal in the 87th minute by Memphis Depay which brought them level on aggregate. Dortmund had already qualified in the 90 minutes, so all eyes were on Atletico Madrid and Inter. Inter went into the game one goal up, and scored another 33 minutes in putting them 0-2 up on aggregate. But just 2 minutes later, Griezmann brought Atletico back into the game with Depay netting the final goal. Extra time produced no new goals which meant the game went to penalties.
Penalties
Inter were first to take the penalties. Calhanoglu stepped up and scored. Next Depay for Atletico also scored. TheSn both Sanchez and Saul missed. It was still 1-1 on penalties. Klaassen for Inter missed, and Riquelme scored. Atletico were one goal ahead. The next two shots went in the net for Acerbi and Correa. Then Martinez for Inter stepped up and missed. Simeone´s side were through to the Quarter Finals.
The teams
With three Spanish powerhouses—Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, and Real Madrid—among the final eight contenders, the atmosphere in the bars is immense. Alongside them stand two formidable English clubs, Arsenal and Manchester City, as well as two German giants, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. Completing the lineup is the French juggernaut, PSG.
Let’s delve into the intricacies of the draw and what it means for the remaining teams.
The draw process
The draw for the Quarter Finals, Semi Finals and Finals is a meticulously designed to ensure fairness and unpredictability. There are no seedings and no country protection. The teams are drawn at random. For the Semi Finals, the names of the eight teams are in balls in a large bowl. Basically, the first team drawn will play the first game at home against the second team drawn, and so on until all 8 fixtures are decided.
The draw will be streamed live by UEFA.
Potential matchups
The draw tomorrow will unveil the matchups for the Quarter Finals, setting the stage for epic showdowns between some of Europe’s footballing giants. Will we witness a classic Spanish standoff between Barcelona and Real Madrid? Or perhaps an English duel as Arsenal takes on Manchester City? Regardless, of the draw, the Quarter Finals are eagerly awaited.
Road to the Semi Finals and Finals
For the victorious teams in the Quarter Finals, the journey does not end there. They will advance to the Semi Finals, where they will face off in another round of two legs. The draw for the Semi Finals will also be carried out tomorrow. It follows a similar format to that of the Quarter Finals, with the four remaining teams randomly paired against each other. This time, however, as the outcome of the Quarter Finals will not yet be known, the balls will be marked, as “Quarter Final 1 winner, Quarter Final 2 winner” etc.
A third draw will be made to determine the “home” club for the Final.
The matches
The first leg of the Quarter Finals will take place on Tuesday 9th and Wednesday 10th of April with the return legs the following Tuesday and Wednesday. The Semi Finals will commence Tuesday 30th April and Wednesday 1st May. The second leg will be on the same days of the following week.
The 2023/24 UEFA Champions League Final will take place on Saturday, 1st June at Wembley Stadium in London.
