Champions League Quarter-Final Draw

Former England international Gary Lineker served up a set of cracking ties as he performed the draw for the Champions League quarter-finals in Switzerland this morning.

The highlight of the draw was when Tottenham Hotspur, a team in which Lineker himself previously played for, were drawn against Spanish giants Real Madrid in what will sure be a thrilling contest. It seems as though Spurs just don’t do easy draws in what is their inaugural season in the Champions League. After dispatching seven-time European Cup winners AC Milan in the previous round, the team from North London will now face the competition’s all-time record-holders, who have not only won the European Cup nine times, but are also coached by Jose Mourinho, a manager who has won the Champions League twice in six years with two different teams and as recently as last season with former club Inter Milan.

Inter Milan striker Goran Pandev celebrates scoring an
88th minute winner against Bayern Munich that saw
his side progress through to the quarter-finals.

In the remainder of the draw, Mourinho’s former club Inter will face Schalke after beating last year’s beaten finalists Bayern Munich and Spanish side Valencia respectively. 2009 Champions League winners Barcelona have a tricky draw against Shakhtar Donetsk, with the Ukrainians unbeaten at home in 31 months in all competitions. The fourth and final quarter-final sees a re-run of the 2008 Champions League final as three-time European Cup winners Manchester United face fellow Premier League side Chelsea.

This morning’s quarter-final draw was followed by the draw for the semi-finals and Lineker again did not fail to disappoint. The winners of the match between Manchester United and Chelsea will face either Inter Milan or Schalke, while the winners of the game between Real Madrid and Tottenham will play either Barcelona or Shakhtar Donetsk, setting up a possible El Classico in the Champions League semi-finals.

The first legs of the quarter-final ties will be played on the 5^th and 6^th of April, with full reviews of all the games right here on Can We Play You Every Week.