Real Madrid, Manchester City to square off in Champions League quarters; PSG draws Barca

NYON, Switzerland — One day, Real Madrid and Manchester City might actually get to meet in a stellar Champions League final. Just not yet.

The winners of the last two Champions Leagues will meet in the quarter-finals next month after Friday’s draw set up another heavyweight clash between the only teams who are still unbeaten.

They played each other in the semifinals the previous two years when the path to the European title went through each other. Madrid won in 2022 with a stunning late comeback in the second leg while City beat the record 14-time champion last year before lifting its first European Cup trophy.

In their latest meeting, Madrid will host the first leg on April 9 and defending champion Man City stages the return eight days later.

“If you want to win [the title] you have to beat the best teams. They might be the best team in Europe at this moment,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said of playing City. “We have all the confidence in the world. If you want to win the Champions League, you have to beat City.”

Kylian Mbappé’s path to a first Champions League title with Paris Saint-Germain in his farewell season there will next go through Barcelona.

PSG hosts the first leg on April 10. Coach Luis Enrique will face his former club, which he led to the 2015 title with a Barcelona team that included Lionel Messi and Neymar, who were later reunited in Paris for two seasons.

Arsenal was drawn to play the first leg at home on April 9 against Bayern Munich, whose star striker Harry Kane will go back to north London after leaving the Gunners’ archrival Tottenham this offseason.

Atletico Madrid was paired with Borussia Dortmund in the other game, with the German club having the advantage of hosting the second leg on April 16. Atletico under coach Diego Simeone showed again they are a fearsome force at Metropolitano Stadium by ousting Inter Milan on Wednesday.

Dortmund coach Edin Terzic called Atletico “a strong opponent which is especially a little monster in knockout games.”