UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final Draw: Chelsea Get Benfica, APOEL Welcome Real Madrid, AC Milan To Face Barcelona

Chris Wright

16th, March 2012

22 Comments

By Chris Wright

“Who have we got? I just can’t look!”

‘Der Afro’ Paul Breitner has just done the business in Nyon and the draw for the Champions League quarter-finals looks a little like this – in fact, it looks exactly like this…

APOEL vs Real Madrid
Marseille vs Bayern Munich
Benfica vs Chelsea (fun fact: Chelsea got Real Madrid in rehearsals)
AC Milan vs Barcelona

The first legs will be played on 27th and 28th March, and the second legs will be played on 3rd and 4th April 2012.

The semi-final draw was also conducted, with the last four shaping us thusly…

Semi-final 1: Marseille/Bayern Munich vs APOEL/Real Madrid
Semi-final 2: Chelsea/Benfica vs AC Milan/Barcelona

The semi-final first legs will be played on 17th and 18th April, with the second legs following on 24th and 25th April 2012.

The winners of ‘semi-final 1’ have also been drawn as the home team in the final, meaning that Bayern Munich will play as the home side in the Allianz Arena should they manage to reach the final hurdle come 19th May.

Initial reaction: Chelsea have landed a perfectly winnable quarter-final, though that’s not to say a victory over Benfica is anything other than ‘possible.’ A re-staging of the nerve-jangling Chelsea-Barca semi of 2009 is also on the cards if they manage to oust their Portuguese opponents.

Elsewhere, APOEL will be delighted to be welcoming Real Madrid to town, but there must be real fears of their incredible Champions League foray ending with a heavy trouncing – with a Real Madrid/Barcelona final being a very real possibility thanks to them being miraculously kept apart. What a turn up for the books.

Any thoughts folks?

Posted in Champions League, Chelsea

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22 Comments

  1. Meldeath says:

    Conspiracy theories are fun, so anyone else thinks it’s been a little rigged, as always? Real and Barcelona not meeting themselves until a possible CL final pairing? Chelsea up for a supposed revenge for the “f***ing disgrace” semi-final a few years back?
    My predictions for semi-finals: Bayern (hard fought) – Real Madrid (though APOEL will put up a good fight in Cyprus) and Chelsea (pretty straightforward) – Barcelona (some controversies are in order), and then Real – Barcelona in the final. Would be pretty funny to watch.

  2. Manolo Garnix says:

    While the quarter finals aren’t that thrilling, they give the opportunity of seeing to modern CL classics: Bayern-Real and Chelsea-Barca.

  3. Si says:

    Unfortunately, it looks like Messi’s “five goals in a single CL game” record may be under real threat already. It is a shame that APOEL did not get Benfica or Chelsea.

  4. ferguson and webb says:

    roman give money to platini to give him benfica instead of madrid or barca.

  5. Nuno says:

    From a Benfica point of view here, I must admit we’re not ‘unhappy’ with what the draw gave us. Wouldn’t mind APOEL, but think we’ve got a pretty good chance of going through, given our results against Man Utd this season and the fact that Sporting (4th placed in portuguese league) eliminated City.
    Of course Benfica – Barca in the semis isn’t that good, but we’ll take it…

  6. a says:

    Benfica is a much better side than Chelsea… Funny how everyone thinks Chelsea are already in the semis.

    Really annoying for Real Madrid, they won’t have any challenge until the CL’s semi-finals. So the winning streak will be longer and everybody will call Mourinho “Genius” … The only tests they’ve had so far were against FCB, result : lost the supercup, lost at home in la Liga, were eliminated in la copa del rey.

  7. Si says:

    @A – no-one has said that Benfica aren’t as good as Chelsea. Learn to read.

  8. Tom says:

    Benefica a ‘much better side’ than Chelsea? about equal at best really…

  9. RyanMe says:

    Funny how Mourinho hasn’t said a word about Barça conspiracies this year ;)

  10. Nuno says:

    @Si
    I believe “a” was refering to Meldeath’s comment: “Chelsea (pretty straightforward)”.
    Also don’t think Benfica is “much better”, but I believe it will be a close call, and definitely the most unpredictable matchup of the 4 (although Milan and Marseille also won’t go down easy).

  11. Tosser says:

    I can see the wheels falling off the Barca cart at the final turn (Abidal out and one more random factor ie. Puyol/Pique in card trouble). Looks to me like it is Reals to lose…they’ve been neck and neck in all the Classicos this year.

  12. Papi says:

    Madrid and Barcelona kept apart?! How convenient!

    I’m also surprised that Barcelona didn’t draw APOEL.

    Final: Madrid vs Milan.

  13. Andy F says:

    Real were neck and neck in the Supercoppa, but were lost little lambs in both the Liga classico and the Copa del Rey.

    I think a Real Bayern semi is a tough one to call, almost completely reliant on which Bayern show up. Barca have got it difficult – Milan are good and Chelsea is another emotional rollercoaster waiting to happen.

    Wouldn’t be surprised by a Bayern-Chelsea final.

  14. digger says:

    @ Andy fay Madrid lost the 1st copa match by 1 goal and the 2nd they tied and almost won. Far from lost little lambs, more like players without belief they can beat barca when they really can.

  15. Jeff says:

    Strong test for Barça to win back to back. Milan then to Benfica or Chelsea, then either Bayern at home or Real Madrid. Tough road with a thin squad. If they can do it my hats off to them.

  16. a says:

    @Si

    When I say “everybody”, it does not mean “all Pies readers”

    “Learn to read”…

  17. a says:

    @digger

    I know what you mean but “almost winning” isn’t winning. And so many faults are forgotten by the refs… In almost all clasicos, Real should have one or two players sent off.

    I sincerely don’t want a Real-Barca final, it will again be about provocation, nasty challenges, rumbles, etc. It’s really not pleasant to watch.

  18. V says:

    Benfica to deny Real’s 10th UCL trophy, thus winning its third.

  19. Terry Sheddingham says:

    Like ‘a’ says, given recent El Classicos, a Real Madrid-Barcelona final would be the worst possible outcome. Such ugly, ugly games.

  20. sloth says:

    I honestly think Madrid could have trouble with APOEL. The Galacticos are so unbelievably arrogant that I think they could let this one slip if they take they Cypriots too lightly. Remember when Alcorcón (3rd tier in Spain at the time) thrashed them 4-0 in the Copa Del Rey and ended up going through 4-1 on aggregate?

  21. Dan says:

    @ V

    yes!!!

  22. Digger says:

    @sloth that was under a different coach 3 years ago and Madrid have not lost a game all year to anybody BUT Barca or Levante. No one else has beaten them.

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