The 12 teams remaining in the Champions League learned their fates on Friday as UEFA held the quarterfinal draw ahead of August’s knockout finale to the tournament.
Eight teams must still complete the second leg of their Round of 16 clashes, while four others have already reached the quarterfinals.
Bayern Could Face Barcelona in Classic Quarterfinal
Two quarterfinal matches will feature the four teams that have already advanced. Tournament favorite Paris Saint-Germain will take on Italian side Atalanta, while RB Leipzig will face Atletico Madrid.
The UEFA Champions League draw is complete! 🙌
Who will lift the trophy next month? ðŸ†ðŸ¤”#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/h7hYwKWw2K
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) July 10, 2020
Mouthwatering matchups potentially await in the other two Champions League quarterfinals. Bayern Munich currently holds a 3-0 lead over Chelsea and will host the second leg in Germany. If they get past the English side, Bayern could face Barcelona, which drew 1-1 with Napoli and is awaiting its own second leg home game.
The last quarterfinal will see the winner of the Manchester City vs. Real Madrid tie take on either Lyon or Juventus. City will take a 2-1 lead back to the Etihad, while Juventus heads back home facing a 1-0 deficit.
Champions League Odds (Winner)
- Manchester City (+350)
- Paris Saint-Germain (+350)
- Bayern Munich (+375)
- Atletico Madrid (+800)
- Barcelona (+900)
- Atalanta (+1100)
- Juventus (+1700)
- RB Leipzig (+1900)
- Real Madrid (+3300)
- Napoli (+7000)
- Lyon (+10000)
- Chelsea (+40000)
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Teams will play the second leg of the remaining Round of 16 ties on Aug. 7 and 8, with the Champions League quarterfinals beginning on Aug. 12. From the quarterfinals on, all Champions League matches will take place in Lisbon. Teams will compete in a single-game knockout format rather than the traditional two-leg ties, with the final taking place on Aug. 23.
UEFA paused the Champions League on March 13 due to the worsening COVID-19 pandemic. The future of the tournament was in doubt until June 17 when UEFA announced its plan to complete the competition.
After the draw, DraftKings Sportsbook lists Manchester City and PSG as +350 co-favorites, just ahead of Bayern Munich (+375). Atletico Madrid (+800), FC Barcelona (+900), and Atalanta (+1100) also remain likely contenders.
Guardiola Focused on Getting Past Real Madrid
The draw placed all five Champions League winners on the same side of the bracket. Reporters asked Man City manager Pep Guardiola about a potential semifinal matchup with Barcelona or Bayern Munich, but he refused to take the bait, saying his team still has to qualify for the quarterfinals first.
“I will invite you to a future press conference to ask me this question after the game against Real Madrid,†Guardiola said on Friday. “I cannot answer this because I am not there. Maybe in this club and organization, there is nobody better who knows Real Madrid better than me.â€
UEFA hit City with a two-year ban from European play after it found the club guilty of violating Financial Fair Play regulations. City is appealing the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Guardiola said he believes that his club will be back in the Champions League next season, with CAS likely to announce its verdict on Monday.
“The intention every season is to play in the Champions League and do the best possible,†he said. “I’m so confident because I saw the arguments of the club that next season we will be there, but we have to wait.â€
