The draw for the Quarter-Finals of the 2022/23 Champions League have just been made and as always, it has thrown up some really interesting, exciting and interesting ties.
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Champions League Quater-Final Draw
Eight teams went into the draw for the Quarter-Finals of the Champions League and they were,
- Real Madrid
- Chelsea
- Inter Milan
- Benfica
- Man City
- Bayern Munich
- AC Milan
- Napoli
and here are the four Quarter-Final fixtures due to be played over two legs in April,
- Real Madrid vs Chelsea
- Inter Milan vs Benfica
- Man City vs Bayern Munich
- AC Milan vs Napoli
Taking a closer look at each of the Quarter-Final matches
Real Madrid vs Chelsea
Chelsea are no stranger to playing Spanish sides in European competitions but over the years it has been Barcelona rather than Real Madrid that the Londoners have gotten used to playing.
Real Madrid are, of course, the current Champions League winners and knocked out Liverpool in the last round comfortably, 6-2 on aggregate. Chelsea, the 2021 Champions League winners, knocked Borussia Dortmund out in the last round but only just, going through 2-1 on aggregate.
Graham Potter has endured a tough start to life at Stamford Bridge but if he could guide Chelsea to their third Champions League trophy then he would ingrain himself in the clubs' history books and prove all the doubters wrong.
However, Chelsea couldn't have asked for a harder draw as they go up against a team that has won the Champions League more than any other club (14) and has a side packed with winners as well as a manager that has been there and done it all before. Ancelotti managed Chelsea from 2009-2011, guiding the club to the Premier League title, an FA Cup and the Community Shield.
Inter Milan vs Benfica
Inter Milan arguably got the best draw of the round as they face Portuguese side Benfica in the Quarter-Final. The Italians have claimed this trophy three times before, most recently under the guidance of Jose Mourinho in 2010. With Lukaku and Martinez up front, most will be expecting Inter Milan to breeze through both legs against Benfica but Simone Inzaghi's side haven't been at their best this season, despite sitting 2nd in the table.
Benfica are a club steeped in history and they have secured the Champions League on two previous occasions. However, that was back in the early 1960s when the competition was still called the European Cup. Benfica got lucky with their draw in the last round as they went up against Club Brugge of Belgium and thrashed them 7-1 on aggregate. The Portuguese side will have to up their game against Inter Milan but you can't rule them out just yet as the Italians have been hit and miss this season.
Man City vs Bayern Munich
Pep Guardiola goes up against one of his former clubs in the Quarter-Final as Man City take on Germany's best, Bayern Munich.
The Citizens have played against seven different German opponents in the past but none more so than Bayern Munich. These two sides have clashed eight times before and the English club have claimed 5 wins and suffered 3 defeats.
Man City haven't won the Champions League yet and it remains the one big trophy the club desire so dearly, while Bayern Munich are one of the most successful clubs in the competition's history, lifting the trophy on six occasions between 1974-2020.
Guardiola's men eased through the last round 8-1 on aggregate against another Bundesliga side, RB Leipzig, while Bayern knocked out one of the competition's favourites, PSG, winning both legs to secure a 3-o aggregate victory.
It's going to be tough for City, that is for sure, but when these two sides met in 2022 for a friendly the Premier League side claimed a 1-0 victory and won their last Champions League game against the Germans in 2014, 3-2.
AC Milan vs Napoli
The last of our Quarter-Final matches is an all-Italian affair and could turn out to be one of the ties of the round.
Napoli are going strong in Serie A this season and look like they might just win the title as they currently sit 18pts clear of Inter Milan and 20pts ahead of AC Milan.
Obviously, these two teams know each other very well but the advantage appears to be in Napoli's corner as they have already beaten AC Milan this season, 2-1 at the San Siro. However, Napoli have never won the Champions League before, with their one and only European success arriving in the UEFA Cup back in 1989. AC Milan, on the other hand, are one of the most established Champions League sides in the history of the competition, lifting the trophy on seven occasions between 1962-2007, so it's going to be interesting to see if that added experience comes in handy.
