Real Madrid could meet the Juventus of former hero Cristiano Ronaldo in the Champions League quarterfinals while German giants Bayern Munich may face Barcelona, DPA reported. Friday's draw made by European governing body UEFA also paired tournament debutants Atalanta with Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig with Atletico Madrid. Real must first conclude their last 16 tie with Manchester City and enter the second, away, leg trailing 2-1 having lost at home. Juventus meanwhile must overcome a 1-0 first leg defeat at Lyon in the last 16 when they play again in Turin. Barcelona drew 1-1 at Napoli in the first leg of their last 16 tie while Bayern Munich cruised 3-0 at Chelsea to stand on the brink of the quarters. Those ties are on Aug. 7-8 with the final tournament in Lisbon beginning with the last eight on Aug. 12-15. The semifinal draw was also made with Real Madrid/Manchester City/Lyon/Juventus meeting Napoli/Barcelona/Chelsea/Bayern Munich in what looks like the tougher path to the Aug. 23 final. In the other half of the draw only Atletico have previously reached the Champions League final and they will meet the winner of Atlanta v PSG in semifinals Aug. 18-19. The Champions League was suspended in March due to the coronavirus outbreak and will resume behind closed doors next month. The quarterfinals and semifinals will be played as one-off knock-out matches rather than two-legged ties as normal. The UEFA Champions League is contested by the highest ranked teams of the strongest UEFA national associations. It is the top club competition in European football and one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world. The Champions League final is the most watched annual sporting event worldwide. The final of the 2012-13 tournament had the highest TV ratings to date, drawing 360 million television viewers. It was played at Wembley Stadium in London, England, where Bayern Munich beat Borussia Dortmund in the first all-German Champions League final. Meanwhile, all teams restart their Europa League campaigns with last 16 ties, before the later stages of this season's tournament are played as a straight knockout tournament hosted in Cologne, Germany. The matches begin on Aug. 5-6. The 2019-20 UEFA Europa League is the 49th season of Europe's secondary club football tournament. The winners of the tournament automatically qualify for the 2020-21 Champions League group stage, and earn the right to play against the winners of the 2019-20 Champions League in the 2020 UEFA Super Cup. — SPA/Agencies
