The draw to determine the matchups in the next round of Europe’s top tournament is set for Friday in Nyon, Switzerland.
FC Barcelona will find out which team they play just after 12.00pm CET this Friday, when UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland will be the backdrop for this year’s quarter-final matchups. The first leg matches will be on 14 and 15 April, while the return legs will be on 21 and 22 April. Let’s take a look at Barça’s seven possible rivals.
Real Madrid
Ancelotti’s team may become Barça’s quarter-final rivals the just two days before the Clásico. Real arrive after eliminating Schalke, winning 2–0 away and losing 4–3 at the Santiago Bernabéu. Barça and Madrid have not faced off in the Champions League since the 2010/11 semi-finals, which saw Barça move into the final. A league rivalry could become a European confrontation.
Bayern Munich
The Germans eliminated Shakhtar Donetsk after a dramatic 7–0 rout at the Allianz Arena. This would be Barça’s first matchup with a team led by Pep Guardiola, since the end of his time at FC Barcelona. It could also be the first visit made by Thiago Alcántara, in the final stages of recovery from his knee injury, who could face his brother Rafinha. Neuer, Müller, Ribery, Lahm, Robben, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lewandowski are some of Bayern’s more prominent names.
Paris Saint-Germain
The French side has already faced Barça in this edition of the Champions League. PSG won 3–2 at the Parc des Princes, while Barca won 3–1 at Camp Nou. Laurent Blanc’s team reach this round much stronger after eliminating Chelsea in a very exciting match at Stamford Bridge that saw the Parisians win with 10 players.
Porto
Another former Barcelona player, Julen Lopetegui, could face the Catalans in the Champions League. Porto beat Basel 4–0 in the second leg to reach the last eight. One of Porto’s best players is striker Cristian Tello, on loan to the Portuguese club from FC Barcelona. They also have former Barcelona player Ricardo Quaresma, Colombian Jackson Martinez and Algerian Yacine Brahimi, the team’s top scorers in the competition with five goals each.
Monaco
This team is one of the biggest surprises in this Champions League after winning group C over Zenit, Bayer Leverkusen and Benfica. The team led by Leonardo Jardim has experienced players like Joao Moutinho, Jeremy Toulalan, Ricardo Carvalho and Dimitar Berbatov. They eliminated Arsenal in the round of 16 after a great 3–1 victory in London before losing 2–0 at home.
Atlético Madrid
Atlético beat Barça in the Champions League quarter-finals last season but this year fell to them in the same round of the Spanish Cup. The arrival of Fernando Torres has boosted a team that still has players like Koke, Godin, Arda Turan and Miranda, among others.
Juventus
Juventus are back in the quarter-finals two seasons after their last appearance. With Massimiliano Allegri at the helm, the Italians finished second in their group behind Atlético Madrid and then knocked out Borussia Dortmund in the last 16. This year's team leaders are Buffon, Chiellini, Bonucci, Lichsteiner and Pogba; the only players who have appeared in every game. The Juventus attack is led by Carlos Tévez, Álvaro Morata and Fernando Llorente.
