Barcelona Out to Avenge Atletico Madrid in Champions League Quarterfinals
Barcelona are paired rivals Atletico Madrid, while Manchester City pool Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarterfinals.
- Agence France-Presse
- Updated: March 18, 2016 08:53 pm IST
Holders Barcelona and their feared attacking trident drew fellow Spaniards and 2014 finalists Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last eight on Friday. (Read More football)
Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar, Barcelona's feared attacking trio, will seek revenge for their 2-1 aggregate quarterfinals exit at the hands of Diego Simeone's formidable charges two seasons ago.
"With Atletico Madrid everything is complicated," said Barcelona representative Javier Bordas, who was in Nyon for the draw.
"Their strengths are well known. They are water-tight at the back and can hurt you in attack," he said of the side who have shipped just three goals in the competition so far.
"They are our number one rival in the Spanish league, I don't believe there was a tougher side we could have drawn. We know this is going to be really tough."
In another tantalising pair up new money outfits Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain face off after Swedish giant Zlatan Ibrahimovic's side toppled Chelsea in the last round. It is a first ever quarter-finals for City.
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi seemed convinced his up and coming side can get to their first semi-final in twenty years.
"In the quarter-finals there are only good teams left. We have enormous respect for Manchester City, But I believe our players will produce another big European performance. I'm convinced we can keep up the pace that saw us overcome Chelsea and offer our supporters a first semi-final since 1995," he said
Having overcome Juventus in a dramatic come back in midweek five-time European champions Bayern Munich will have been relieved to have drawn Portugal's Benfica.
Bayern winger Franck Ribery warned there was no room for complacency even if the Germans, led by Pep Guardiola in his last season before a switch to Manchester City, are unlikely to lose any sleep over the pair up.
"We will have to remain very focussed, it's the quarter-finals, you don't take these matches lightly. After the group games you never have an easy match," said the Frenchman.
"We need a good result in the first game at home. But it's a great draw for us," he said.
Zinedine Zidane's ten-time winners Real Madrid and the Champions League's runaway top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo (13 goals), drew Germans Wolfsburg, with the added comfort of playing at home in the second leg against the quarter-final debutants.
"We can't wait" said Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking.
"For Wolfsburg, the fans and the club it's a wonderful draw. Real Madrid are a massive side but you've always got a chance."
The two legs of the quarter-finals will be played between April 5-13, with the semi-finals on April 26/27 and May 3/4.
The final will take place in Milan on May 28.