Bayern to face Juve in quarter-finals
Reuters - Friday 15 March 2013, 11:26
Four-times winners Bayern Munich will face resurgent
Juventus in the pick of the Champions League quarter-finals following
the draw made in Nyon on Friday, with favourites Barcelona paired with
Paris Saint-Germain.
Bayern,
beaten finalists last season when Chelsea lifted the trophy, will first
host the Serie A champions who are back in the quarter-finals after a
seven-year absence.
"That is
certainly not a dream draw for us," Bayern chief executive Karl-Heinz
Rummenigge told reporters about meeting the twice European champions.
"Statistically
we have not had good experiences with Juventus. It will be difficult
and we will need to have two good days against them to reach the semis."
Juve
director Pavel Nedved said: "Bayern are one of the hardest teams that
we could have faced. We have to approach the tie positively. I'm proud
that Juve are among the top eight sides in Europe and the only Italian
side in the draw."
Barcelona,
who overhauled a 2-0 first leg deficit to beat AC Milan in the last 16
this week, will face rising force PSG with the first leg in France.
PSG's former Barca frontman Zlatan Ibrahimovic is set to miss the first leg through suspension.
Leonardo,
sports director at the Qatari-backed Ligue 1 leaders, told TV channel
BeIN Sport: "We are going to play against the best team - not just
because of what they did this week, but because of what they have been
doing in the past years.
"It is not easy but no draw would have been easy anyway. Paris deserves to be part of the big party."
Nine-times
winners Real Madrid will take on Galatasaray in a tie which pits Jose
Mourinho, coach of the Spanish side, against his former Chelsea player
Didier Drogba. Real are at home first.
Real
director Emilio Butragueno told Sky Sports: "We need to get a very good
result at home because we know that their fans will make it very
difficult there.
"Galatasaray
have overcome some tough hurdles and they will be very competitive and
by signing Didier Drogba they have improved tremendously."
Bundesliga
champions Borussia Dortmund were drawn against Champions League
newcomers Malaga in the other quarter-final with the Spaniards at home
in the first leg.
"We can
live with this draw," Dortmund sports director Michael Zorc said. "At
least it is better than playing Barcelona, Real or Bayern."
The first legs will be played on April 2 or 3 and the second legs on April 9 or 10.
England
do not have a team in the Champions League quarter-finals for the first
time since the 1995/96 season.
Draw for the Champions League quarter-finals:
Malaga v Borussia Dortmund
Real Madrid v Galatasaray
Paris Saint-Germain v Barcelona
Bayern Munich v Juventus
First legs to be played on April 2 or 3, second legs April 9 or 10.