Holders Barcelona will face rivals Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of this season’s Women’s Champions League after the sides were paired together in Monday’s draw for the knockout phase.
Barcelona, with new Women’s Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, hammered Chelsea 4-0 in last season’s final and also won a domestic league and cup double.
They won all six games in this season’s inaugural Champions League group stage, scoring 24 goals and conceding just one.
Real, meanwhile, finished second in their group behind French champions Paris Saint-Germain.
The winners of the all-Spanish tie will go through to a quarter-final against either Arsenal or Wolfsburg.
The Germans pipped Chelsea to qualify for the last eight, while Arsenal — the only English club ever to have won the title — came second in their section behind Barcelona.
The other half of the draw is set up for a potential all-French semi-final showdown between PSG and record seven-time European champions Lyon.
PSG will take on Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, with the winner of that going through to play Lyon or Juventus in the last four.
Juve is hoping to go all the way to the final which will be played at their home ground in Turin at a date to be confirmed.
Draw
Quarter-finals
Bayern Munich (GER) v Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
Juventus (ITA) v Lyon (FRA)
Arsenal (ENG) v Wolfsburg (GER)
Real Madrid (ESP) v Barcelona (ESP)
Semi-finals
Real Madrid/Barcelona v Arsenal/Wolfsburg
Juventus/Lyon v Bayern Munich/Paris Saint-Germain
– Quarter-finals to be played March 22/23 and 30/31
– Semi-finals to be played April 23/24 and April 30/May 1
AFP
