Man City to face Real in CL quarter-finals while Arsenal draw Bayern

Manchester City will face Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final while Arsenal were drawn against Bayern Munich.

Arsenal will host Bayern in the first leg as former Tottenham star Harry Kane returns to north London.

Holders City must overcome Real once again to defend their crown after trouncing the 14-time winners last season in the semi-final en route to claiming the treble.

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Familiar foe! Watch all of Harry Kane’s Bundesliga goals this season ahead of his return to north London to face Arsenal

Familiar foe Kane a big threat to Arsenal

Sky Sports’ Nick Wright:

“Bayern Munich may not be as strong as in previous years but another meeting with Harry Kane is probably not something Arsenal will relish.

“The 30-year-old has an outstanding record against the Gunners, scoring 14 goals in 17 north London derbies during his time at Tottenham.

“He will face them again in the midst of one of the best goalscoring seasons of his career, having netted 36 times in only 34 appearances in all competitions so far.”

Barcelona will take on Paris Saint-Germain while Borussia Dortmund play against Atletico Madrid in the other quarter-final ties.

Arsenal and Man City will face each other in the semi-finals if they progress.

When are the Champions League quarter-final and semi-final ties?

The first legs of the quarter-final ties will be played on April 9 and 10, with the return fixtures on April 16 and 17.

Arsenal and Manchester City are both playing April 9 and on April 17.

Arsenal host Bayern on April 9, with City travelling to Madrid that Tuesday. Arsenal are away on Wednesday April 17, the same night that City host Real Madrid at the Etihad.

The semi-finals will be on April 30 and May 1, with the second legs on May 7 and 8.

The Champions League final is on June 1 at Wembley Stadium.

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Former Tottenham striker Harry Kane is the top scorer in North London Derby history with 14 goals, here are all seven of his goals from open play in the fixture

Bayern fans banned from the Emirates

There will be no Bayern Munich fans at Arsenal for the first leg at the Emirates Stadium.

Bayern were handed a ban from attending the away leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie because their supporters threw fireworks onto the pitch during their 3-1 win at Lazio earlier this month.

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Arsenal sporting director Edu says Arsenal are excited by the challenge Bayern Munich will present in their Champions League quarter-final

Champions League quarter-final draw

  • Arsenal vs Bayern Munich
  • Atletico Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund
  • Real Madrid vs Man City
  • PSG vs Barcelona

Champions League semi-final draw

  • Atletico Madrid/Borussia Dortmund vs PSG/Barcelona
  • Arsenal/Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid/Man City

Man City (a) – Premier League – Sunday March 31

Luton Town (h) – Premier League – Wednesday April 3

Brighton (a) – Premier League – Saturday April 6

Bayern Munich (h) – Champions League – Tuesday April 9

Aston Villa (h) – Premier League – Sunday April 14

Bayern Munich (a) – Champions League – Wednesday April 17

Wolves (a) – Premier League – Saturday April 20

* All fixture dates are subject to change

Newcastle (h) – FA Cup – Saturday March 16

Arsenal (h) – Premier League – Sunday March 31

Aston Villa (h) – Premier League – Wednesday April 3

Crystal Palace (a) – Premier League – Saturday April 6

Real Madrid (a) – Champions League – Tuesda April 9

Luton Town (h) – Premier League – Saturday April 13

Real Madrid (h) – Champions League – Wednesday April 17

Tottenham (h) – Premier League – Saturday April 20

* All fixture dates are subject to change; FA Cup semi-finals to be played on weekend of April 20-21

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Arteta hails ‘powerful big step’ | Merse: Arsenal deserve more credit

Mikel Arteta has hailed the “big step” Arsenal have taken in qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in 14 years and believes their progress could also have a “powerful” impact on their quest to win the Premier League.

Courtesy of two outstanding David Raya saves, the Gunners sneaked through on penalties after their two-legged tie with Porto ended 1-1 on aggregate. Arsenal last reached the last eight of the Champions League in 2010.

“For them to do it when the club hasn’t managed to do it for 14 years, it tells you the difficulty of it,” reflected Arteta.

“It’s another big step, especially as a club. The last seven years we haven’t been in this competition, the last 14 we haven’t been where we are today. That’s the difficulty of it, the best thing is we are not satisfied, we want more and we are going to try to go through the next round for sure.”

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Paul Merson reacts to Arsenal’s win over Porto in the Champions League and praises Raya’s performance

Arsenal will discover the identity of their last-eight opponents in Friday’s quarter-final draw.

“I’m so happy, so proud, especially for the club,” Arteta told the club’s official website.

The Arsenal manager reserved special praise for Raya following his two saves in the shootout.

“It was incredible. What he’s done through the game as well and how composed he looks and how secure. It’s the first big game that he’s played in his career in the Champions League, and it didn’t look that way.

“The way the boys took the penalties as well, their body language, their composure, their quality.”

Arsenal’s 14-year wait…

  • 2010/11: Champions League last 16
  • 2011/12: Champions League last 16
  • 2012/13: Champions League last 16
  • 2013/14: Champions League last 16
  • 2014/15: Champions League last 16
  • 2015/16: Champions League last 16
  • 2016/17: Champions League last 16
  • 2017/18: Europa League semi-finals
  • 2018/19: Europa League runners-up
  • 2019/20: Europa League last 32
  • 2020/21: Europa League semi-finals
  • 2021/22: Not in Europe
  • 2022/23: Europa League last 16

Will Champions League progress help or hinder Premier League ambitions?

Last season, European competition came at a steep cost to Arsenal when William Saliba suffered a campaign-ending injury against Sporting Lisbon in mid-March. But Arteta is confident that progression in the Champions League could prove a domestic advantage.

“If you are out you think one less competition, we can focus on the league, more time to prepare for games but now the energy that it brings amongst the squad, amongst the club it’s really powerful,” he said.

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta reflects on their Round of 16 Champions League win over Porto and praised the role goalkeeper Raya played in the victory

It was a viewpoint echoed by Sky Sports pundit and former Arsenal striker Paul Merson.

“It only gives you confidence, it’s major,” said Merson. “Plus you’ve always got that extra thing to fall back on. If they’d have lost tonight and then at Man City, all of a sudden you’re on a bit of a downer. Now, they got to Man City with the Champions League still on – it’s a massive, massive boost for Arsenal. Brilliant for the fans too.”

Arsenal don’t play again for almost three weeks when they return to action in a top-of-the-table clash at Manchester City on March 31, live on Sky Sports.

“It’s a massive boost,” continued Merson. “You can get beat at Man City, draw your next game after that and you’re out of the title race. They’ve got something else now, two trophies to go for. It’s got the elephant out of the room, they’ve been going out of these competitions too often at this stage, and they’ve gone through tonight.

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Raya was Arsenal’s hero in the shootout with two penalty saves

“They’re moving forward, they took the best team in the world to two games from the end of the season. Now they’re top of the league and in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

“They should get major credit, they don’t get the credit they deserve if I’m being honest. We’re always waiting for a Liverpool or a Man City to kick on, but Arsenal are in there, there’s no doubt about it.”

Raya ends goalkeeper debate and vindicates Arteta

Analysis by Sky Sports’ Nick Wright:

Most Arsenal fans had already embraced David Raya as the club’s new No 1, such has been his improvement in recent months following some shaky moments in the first half of the season.

But, for all the quietly impressive performances which led Arteta to highlight Raya’s knack for anticipating and preventing danger before it arises, the Spaniard was yet to enjoy a standout moment.

This was it.

He had performed impressively over the course of the 120 minutes, saving well from Evanilson in the first half, confidently claiming crosses and using the ball smartly over short and long distances.

David Raya saved twice in the shoot-out
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David Raya saved twice in the shootout

In the end, though, what mattered most was what happened from the spot. The decisive save, from Galeno, was superb; the first, from Wendell, even better.

He was a totem of calm during the shootout, setting the tone as Porto lost their nerve, and it is that even temperament that truly separates him from the popular Aaron Ramsdale.

His blend of quality and composure in possession helps Arsenal to dominate opponents. The same qualities help ensure panic does not spread during the moments of adversity.

It was all there against Porto, his penalty heroics occurring in the same spot at the Emirates Stadium where Ramsdale’s error almost cost Arsenal against Brentford a few days earlier. Arteta’s decision to change his goalkeeper has been emphatically vindicated.

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