Liverpool have progressed to the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the fourth time in five years.....READ THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
Liverpool just about did enough to earn their place in the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday.
The Reds were beaten 1-0 at home by Inter Milan in their round of 16 second leg tie but progressed on aggregate having won 2-0 in Italy three weeks earlier.
It is the fourth time in the last five years Liverpool have reached the last eight of Europe’s premier knockout competition, the 17th occasion overall.
And the six-time winners – who last triumphed with Jurgen Klopp in charge in 2019 – are now waiting to discover their pathway to the final, which takes place on Saturday, May 28 at the Stade de France in Paris.
When is the draw?
The draw for both the quarter-finals and semi-finals will take place in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday, March 18 at 11am. It will be shown live on BT Sport and both the BT Sport website and UEFA website.
The designated ‘home’ team for the final in Paris will also be determined, making this the last draw of this season’s competition.
What are the rules?
From the quarter-finals onwards, there are no seedings or country protection in the Champions League. It means Liverpool could be paired with another Premier League team or could face Atletico Madrid, despite having played them in the group stages.
The only concession is teams from the same city are not scheduled to play at home on the same day or on consecutive days. This could happen this season if, for example, both Manchester teams progress, which would see United having their fixtures reversed as the lower ranked team domestically this term.
Who is already through?
On the same night Liverpool qualified, Bayern Munich won through by smashing Red Bull Salzburg 7-1 at home having been held to a 1-1 draw in the first leg.
They were joined on Wednesday by Manchester City, who drew 0-0 in their second leg at home to Sporting Lisbon having earlier romped to a 5-0 win in Portugal three weeks ago, and Real Madrid, who beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 in remarkable fashion after losing 1-0 in France in the first leg.
Who else has a chance?
The remaining four ties are mostly in the balance.
Next Tuesday, Manchester United entertain Atletico having earned a 1-1 draw in Spain, while Ajax host Benfica after an entertaining 2-2 stalemate in the first leg.
The following night, Juventus are at home to Villarreal with the teams locked together at 1-1, while European champions Chelsea will hope to finish the job in Lille after winning 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.
