CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW THE ROAD TO MUNICH

QUARTER-FINALS Marseilles
Winners (1) Ligue 1 (8th)

QUARTER-FINALS

V
BEST STATUS

Bayern Munich
Winners (4) Bundesliga (2nd)

Ben ca
Winners (2) Primeira Liga (2nd)*

V
BEST STATUS

Chelsea
Finalists (1) Premier League (5th)

FIRST LEG Wed 28 Mar

SECOND LEG Tue 3 Apr

FIRST LEG Tue 27 Mar

SECOND LEG Wed 4 Apr

Bayern are now within sight of a nal they will host and it is hard to envisage Didier Deschamps inconsistent side barring their way, especially with goalkeeper-captain Steve Mandanda suspended. Franck Ribrys return to Stad Veldrome will be the focus but in Mario Gomez (right) Arjen Robben and Thomas Mller Bayern have plenty of other executioners.

SEMIFINAL
Tue 17 Apr/ Wed 25 Apr

Allianz Arena Munich, above

FINAL
Saturday 19 May

SEMIFINAL
Wed 18 Apr/ Tue 24 Apr

Ben ca are formidable at home, less so on the road, so although they would prefer a calmer passage, Chelsea may have to repeat this weeks great escape. As with most Portuguese sides, there is a South American accent to Ben ca with the usual Brazilians supplemented by players from Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguays Oscar Cardozo (left).

Apoel Nicosia
Quarter- nals (1) Cypriot 1st Div (3rd)

V
BEST STATUS

Real Madrid
Winners (9) La Liga (1st)

FIRST LEG Tue 27 Mar

SECOND LEG Wed 4 Apr

Lionel Messi, of Barcelona, lifts the Champions League trophy at Wembley last May GETTY

Milan
Winners (7) Serie A (1st)

V
BEST STATUS

Barcelona
Winners (4) La Liga (2nd)

FIRST LEG Wed 28 Mar

SECOND LEG Tue 3 Apr

Surely the Cypriot giantkillers adventure will end here. Apoel have got past some good teams, but Real are at another level. Expect Apoel - whose main January recruit was a 34-year-old signed for 75,000 - to sit deep and hope Gustavo Manduca (left) can nick a goal while Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain, Karim Benzema, etc, have two collective o -days.

A tie dripping with glamour and history with 11 triumphs between them. Barcelona, seeking to become the rst team to retain the Champions League, won in Milan during the group stages. So while the enigmatic Zlatan Ibrahimovic (right) may relish the chance to show Pep Guardiola what he gave away, his team-mates will not.
*Statistics not including last nights matches

IN NUMBERS

14

Matches played by 100-1 outsiders Apoel Nicosia, whose campaign began in the second qualifying round on 13 July

23

Fouls su ered by Franck Ribry, highest in competition

number of countries represented in the quarter- nals the most since 1996-97