Bayern face Madrid in last eight

In today's draw for the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, holders FC Bayern München were paired together with eight times European champions Real Madrid CF, while Panathinaikos FC will meet the 1992 winners FC Barcelona.

Third meeting
Manchester United FC, the 1999 champions, meet RC Deportivo La Coruña for the third time this season, having lost both previous meetings, while four times European champions Liverpool FC play Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

Semi-final draw
The semi-final draw paired Panathinaikos or Barcelona with Bayern or Real, and United or Deportivo with Liverpool or Leverkusen. 

Repeat from last year
The meeting between Bayern and Madrid, the last two winners of the trophy, is a repeat of their clash in last season’s semi-finals, when the Germans progressed thanks to a 2-1 win at home in the second leg, after a goal from their Brazilian striker Giovane Elber had separated the sides in Madrid.

Sixth season
It will be the sixth season in which these two famous clubs have met in Europe's premier club competition. The score in individual matches is eight wins for Bayern, three for Real with one draw.

First meeting
Panathinaikos, runners-up in 1971 and runners-up behind Madrid in their second-stage group this season, will be meeting Barcelona for the very first time in European competition. The Spaniards, meanwhile, will have one eye on a semi-final meeting with their great rivals Real; the last time those two met was more than 30 years ago.

Familiar faces
Another potential semi-final "derby" is Manchester United v Liverpool, but before that English champions United will have revenge on their minds. They and Spanish Cup winners Deportivo will know just about all there is to know about each other by the time their quarter-final tie is over. In the first group stage this season, Depor did the double with a 2-1 win in Spain and a 3-2 victory at Old Trafford.

Friendly fixture
And while Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen will be meeting for the first time competitively, they did meet last summer in a pre-season friendly in Switzerland, with the UEFA Cup holders Liverpool coming out on top, 3-2.

Dates
The quarter-final first legs will take place on 2/3 April, with the second legs a week later, while the semi-final first legs will be on 23/24 April and the second legs a week later. The final itself, the 10th UEFA Champions League final, will take place at Hampden Park, Glasgow, on 15 May.

Draw procedure
The draw was conducted by Jean Fournet-Fayard, chairman of UEFA's Club Competitions Committee, and Michele Centenaro, the senior product manager. It was preceded by an opening speech from UEFA Chief Executive Gerhard Aigner, in which he referred to the problems which marred the end of the second group stage fixture between AS Roma and Galatasaray SK on 13 March.

Unacceptable face of football
"This is the unacceptable face of football," said Mr Aigner. "I urge all those involved in the game to show restraint, and to remember their responsibility to the fans."