Champions League Draw: Barcelona reunited with Ibra

 

Barcelona face Paris St-Germain, while Bayern Munich must negotiate Juventus in the Champions League quarter-finals...

 

The Champions League quarter-final draw panned out perfectly: the four frontrunners were kept apart, no sides from the same country will collide and outsiders Malaga and Galatasaray weren't paired together. However, all four ties offer intrigue.

 

Favourites Barcelona have been backed in from 2.76 pre-draw to 2.54 after being handed Paris St-Germain, who lack recent experience at this level and will be without star man Zlatan Ibrahimovic for the home first leg of the tie.

 

The former Barcelona striker, who left the club under a cloud in 2010, will return from suspension to make his second return to the Camp Nou in the second leg, but it is expected to be an unsuccessful one, with Paris St-Germain out to 60.0 from 27.0 to lift the trophy.

 

Real Madrid will be even happier with their last-eight challenge. Having been dealt with roughly in the group stage and round-of-16, they meet 140.0-rated Galatasaray, whose threat will be carried by Wesley Sneijder, Didier Drogba and Buruk Yilmaz.

 

Yilmaz is tied on eight goals with Cristiano Ronaldo as tournament top scorer, though respective odds of 8.8 and 2.0 say it all about who is fancied to earn two more chances to boost their tally in the semi-finals. Real Madrid are in from 4.1 to 3.7 to end their 11-year wait for a tenth European Cup.

 

Italian champions Juventus will oppose soon-to-be-confirmed German equivalents Bayern Munich in a tantalising tie. Juventus are unbeaten in 18 continental fixtures but, despite Bayern's insipid midweek display against Arsenal, they are 5.9 to Juve's 21.0 to land the cup with the big ears.

 

Even if Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern progress as anticipated though, one relatively fresh face in the semis is guaranteed after Bundesliga holders Borussia Dortmund were given overachieving Malaga. Jurgen Klopp's men have home second-leg advantage and have been nudged in from 11.0 to 9.6 to follow two domestic titles with Europe's top prize.

 

In a break with convention, there will be a separate semi-final draw this season.

 

Full draw:

Malaga v Borussia Dortmund

Real Madrid v Galatasaray

Paris St-Germain v Barcelona

Bayern Munich v Juventus

 

Bet HERE

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