Two German teams have made it through to the quarter-finals of this year’s Champions League. The draw, which pits Borussia Dortmund against Atletico Madrid and FC Bayern against Arsenal, opens the door to a potentially high-calibre encounter. BVB managing director Aki Watzke has a special dream in mind – a rematch of the memorable 2013 final at Wembley between BVB and FC Bayern.
Hans-Joachim Watzke could not hide his excitement when he spoke about the possibility of another German-German final at Wembley. „That would be a cool thing,“ he explained in an interview with Sky.
However, before such a dream final can be dreamt of, both BVB and Bayern face challenging tasks. Dortmund travel to Madrid for the first leg, while Munich face Arsenal in London, which has often been considered a good omen in the past. The last time the two teams met was in the round of 16 of the 2016/17 Champions League season. Munich won both home and away with a commanding 5:1 victory.
The draw, which took place under the watchful eye of John Obi Mikel, promises exciting encounters. Should both German teams win their quarter-final matches, they could meet at the legendary Wembley Stadium – a chance for revenge for Dortmund and an opportunity for Bayern to repeat their Wembley success of 2013.
Arsenal is „a tough nut to crack“ for Bayern
FC Bayern, under the management of Thomas Tuchel, face a difficult challenge against Arsenal. The Londoners, who are currently enjoying a strong season in the Premier League, are not to be underestimated. Veteran Thomas Müller had this to say about the upcoming clash: „It’s going to be a tough nut to crack“.
Coach Tuchel takes a pragmatic view of the situation and emphasises the openness of the competition: „From now on, anything is possible“. However, the 50-year-old coach also said that Bayern „are now playing against one of the best teams in Europe.“ For now, however, his focus is on the Bundesliga, where Munich must face Darmstadt 98 to keep their minimal chance of winning the German championship alive.
There is already unease in London. The English press is describing the draw against Bayern Munich as a „nightmare“ for Arsenal. The Gunners have developed considerably since their last encounter with Bayern, making this match an unpredictable and certainly gripping experience.
