Champions League quarter-final draw: Who was in it? When was it? Was there country protection?
Friday, March 17, 2023
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The UEFA Champions League quarter-final, semi-final and final draws took place on Friday 17 March.
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When was the Champions League quarter-final draw?
The draw took place at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday 17 March.
What was the Champions League quarter-final draw?
First legs
Tuesday 11 April
Benfica vs Inter
Man City vs Bayern München
Wednesday 12 April
Real Madrid vs Chelsea
AC Milan vs Napoli
Second legs
Tuesday 18 April
Chelsea vs Real Madrid
Napoli vs AC Milan
Wednesday 19 April
Inter vs Benfica
Bayern München vs Man City
Who was in the Champions League quarter-final draw?
Bayern (GER)
Benfica (POR)
Chelsea (ENG)
Inter (ITA)
Man City (ENG)
Milan (ITA)
Napoli (ITA)
Real Madrid (ESP)
Could teams from the same country play each other in the Champions League quarter-finals?
Yes, it was an open draw. There were no seedings and no country protection, so clubs could face opposition from the same national association and teams they previously came up against in the group stage.
How did the Champions League quarter-final draw work?
Eight balls containing the names of the quarter-finalists were placed in a large central bowl and shuffled. The first team drawn plays its first match at home, against the second team drawn. The procedure was repeated with the remaining balls in the bowl to complete the quarter-final pairings.
Were the Champions League semi-finals drawn at the same time?
Yes. For the semi-final draw, four balls containing slips of paper marked 'Winners of quarter-final 1' to 'Winners of quarter-final 4' were placed in a large central bowl and shuffled. The first and second balls drawn determined the first semi-final pairing, the first ball drawn representing the home team for the first leg. The procedure was repeated with the remaining balls in the bowl to complete the semi-final pairings.
There was then a third draw to determine the 'home' side in the final for administrative reasons.
What was the Champions League semi-final draw?
First legs
Tuesday 9 May
Real Madrid vs Man City
Wednesday 10 May
AC Milan vs Inter
Second legs
Tuesday 16 May
Inter vs AC Milan
Wednesday 17 May
Man City vs Real Madrid
Where is the final?
The 2022/23 Champions League final will take place on 10 June 2023 at Istanbul's Atatürk Olympic Stadium, venue for Liverpool's famous comeback victory over AC Milan in the 2005 showpiece.
When are the quarter-finals and semi-finals?
The quarter-final first legs take place on Tuesday 11 and Wednesday 12 April, with the returns scheduled for 18 and 19 April. The semi-finals will be on 9/10 and 16/17 May with the final on Saturday 10 June.
City and stadium clashes
Based on the decision received from the relevant local authorities and as confirmed by the national association, AC Milan and FC Internazionale Milano, who both share the same stadium for home matches, could not play on the same night, nor at home within 24 hours.
As is the case each season when it comes to determining the match calendar after all competition draws, Paragraph 23.02 of the competition regulations (currently for the competition cycle 21/24) and the associated principles set by the Club Competitions Committee, set out the process to resolve stadium or city clashes. In this case, as both clubs were drawn with the same sequence (first leg at home), AC Milan, being the domestic champion, had priority.
Therefore, the match involving AC Milan was not be reversed.
Are there away goals in the knockout stage?
No. The away-goals rule was abolished from the start of the 2021/22 season with drawn ties now going to extra time and penalties regardless of the aggregate scoreline.