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France 24
France 24
Sport

PSG to face Italy's Atalanta in Champions League quarter-finals

The Champions League trophy, the most coveted prize in European club football. © Fabrice Coffrini, AFP

Paris Saint-Germain have been drawn against this season's surprise package Atalanta in the Champions League quarter-finals, while Lyon will take on either Real Madrid or Manchester City if they can first overcome Juventus in their delayed last-16 tie.

Four quarter-finalists were confirmed on Friday in a draw made confusing by the Covid-19 pandemic that suspended European club football's top tournament in March.

In the remaining fixtures, Atletico Madrid will face Germany's RB Leipzig, while the winners of the Napoli-Barcelona tie will face either Bayern Munich or Chelsea.

The final stages of the Champions League, from the quarter-finals onwards, will be played as a mini-tournament in Portugal. All those matches will be over one leg.

Though short of big names, Atalanta have produced some of the most entertaining football in Europe this year and will present a stern challenge for star-studded PSG, who are still chasing their first Champions League semi-final.

Whoever emerges on top will go on the face the winner of the Leipzig-Atletico Madrid clash in the semis.

Friday's draw also threw up the possibility of a Clasico semi-final, with Barcelona and Real Madrid on collision course to meet in the last four should they both make it that far.

On Thursday, UEFA said the four rounds of 16 second-leg ties postponed because of Covid-19 will be played next month in the stadiums of the home teams —provided travelling is possible without restrictions.

The matches still to be completed will be played on Aug 7-8. City lead Real 2-1, Bayern are 3-0 up against Chelsea, Juve trail Lyon 1-0 while Barcelona and Napoli are level at 1-1.

UEFA said the decision on the fixture arrangements was "consistent with the principle of sporting fairness" and took into account the fact that all four home teams are currently playing domestic matches in their own stadiums.

However, UEFA added that it would monitor the situation and move matches to Portugal if "new events occur that would make it impossible to play one or more matches at the original venues."

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