The quarter-final draw for the last eight in the UEFA Champions League held on Friday, in Nyon, with the pick of a quarter-final clash between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
With no teams seeded and clubs from the same national association drawn against each other, Wolfsburg were first out of the pot followed by Real Madrid. Bayern Munich against Benfica soon followed. PSG picked the only remaining English team, Manchester City, after knocking Chelsea out in the last round.
Before the draws, Lionel Messi said the team were not thinking of unbeaten runs but winning titles.
“We don’t think about the [38-game] unbeaten run [in all competitions], or talk about it either,” he said.
“What we want are titles. They are what count. If we can beat these records as well, then so much the better, but they don’t count for anything if you don’t win trophies too.”
In Atletico, they will face a stiff test as Diego Simeone has moulded a team that does not concede goals easily.
Also, Luis Enrique subtly boasted before the draws that the only team he did not want to play was Barcelona.
He said, “I’ll be happy whoever we get in the quarter-finals, the only team I wouldn’t want to draw is Barça and we can’t get them,” he added.
The first legs will be on April 5, 6 with second legs on April 12 and 13 while draws for the semi-final matches will take place on April 15. The final is at the San Siro on Saturday, May 28.