The Champions League quarter-final between FC Bayern and Real Madrid is now official: the Munich side will kick off their eagerly awaited clash against the Whites at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in early April
As UEFA announced on Wednesday evening after the round of 16 fixtures had been finalized, the first leg between Real Madrid and FC Bayern will take place on April 7. The second leg will be played on April 15 at the Allianz Arena. Both matches will kick off at 9:00 p.m. each night
For Bayern, this means a difficult away assignment in Madrid before the second leg in front of a home crowd
Bayern face tough task against fearful opponents
In sporting terms, Munich go into the clash with plenty of confidence. Vincent Kompany’s team beat Atalanta Bergamo in the last 16 to underline their ambitions in the top flight
Real Madrid, on the other hand, had to invest considerably more in the round of 16, but also managed to beat Manchester City in the end, meaning that the record Champions League winners once again remain a serious title contender
The clash is also particularly explosive for FC Bayern, who have lost all four of their previous knockout ties against Real Madrid – a run they are now determined to break. The memories of past encounters, especially at the Bernabéu, are painful from Bayern’s point of view and also serve as additional motivation
Other top duels in the quarter-finals
The other quarter-final clashes also promise top-class soccer, with Sporting Lisbon taking on Arsenal FC on April 7 and 15
Two more thrilling matches are also on the agenda on 8 and 14 April: Atlético Madrid will take on FC Barcelona, while Liverpool FC will face defending champions Paris Saint-Germain. All matches kick off at 21:00
The final of this year’s Champions League season will be played in Budapest on May 30
For FC Bayern, one thing is clear: the only way to Hungary is through Real Madrid – and thus through one of the biggest rivals in the history of the competition. The stage is set for two more chapters in one of the most prestigious duels in European soccer.