Manchester City’s quest for a maiden Champions League title will continue with a quarter-final meeting with Borussia Dortmund.
The premier European club competition is the big prize missing from Pep Guardiola’s reign at City, having never got past the semi-finals, and they have been handed another German assignment after beating Borussia Monchengladbach in the last 16.
But a tough route to the Istanbul final lies in wait as if they can get past Dortmund, with the first leg at the Etihad Stadium, as either Bayern Munich or Paris St Germain will be waiting in the last four.
The road to Istanbul is set! 😍 Which 2 teams will make the final? 🤔#UCLdraw | #UCL pic.twitter.com/HdgWQRCMHQ — UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 19, 2021
The reigning champions will face Mauricio Pochettino’s PSG in a repeat of last season’s final.
Liverpool, 2019 winners, will play 13-time European champions Real Madrid, who beat the Reds in the 2018 final.
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp told his club’s website: “It’s exciting. It’s obviously a tough draw but I am fine with it because if you look at all the other teams you think, ‘Oh my god’ because they are all strong and all have quality, that’s clear.
“I am really looking forward to the games. It’s only just over two years ago that we faced them and it was a tough night for us, so to get the chance to play them again is cool.”
‘Exciting’ is how Jürgen Klopp termed our @ChampionsLeague pairing with @realmadrid 🔴⚪️ Exclusive #UCLdraw reaction from the boss 👇#LFC | #UCL — Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 19, 2021
The Reds boss was pleased to have avoided fellow Premier League sides Manchester City and Chelsea in the last eight.
“I think we are all the same. Bayern doesn’t want to play Dortmund, for example, because they are from the same country and for us, it was City and Chelsea,” he added.
“If we can avoid as long as possible then you do it, but all the rest, it was clear we would face a tough opponent.”
Chelsea look to have been handed a favourable quarter-final draw against Portuguese side Porto.
Real Madrid or Liverpool 🆚 Porto or Chelsea#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/qkRQOWXqak — UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 19, 2021
Thomas Tuchel’s men got past Atletico Madrid 3-0 on aggregate in the last round and will be heavy favourites to overcome the 2004 champions, despite them beating Juventus in the last 16.
If both English clubs progress then they will meet in another instalment of their fierce Champions League rivalry.
Chelsea and Liverpool previously met in the last four in 2004-05, 2006-07 and 2007-08 and also in the 2008-09 quarter-finals.
The quarter-finals will be played over the weeks of April 6-7 and 13-14 while the last four will be played on April 27-28 and May 4-5.
