Champions League 2015: Quarter-Final Draw Date, Updated Schedule and Odds
Europe's attention will turn to Nyon, Switzerland on March 20 as those clubs deserving enough of a place in this season's Champions League quarter-finals discover who they'll face in the tournament's final eight.
Midway through the round of 16 and only four spots remain in the quarters, with some of the continental elite still vying to cement their qualification for the next round of the contest.
No seeding will apply in the next stage and teams from the same nation are able to be drawn against one another, bringing some extra spice to Europe's premier contest.
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With some giants having already taken their leave, only the most talented outfits will move on to the quarter-finals, with next week's draw information and updated tournament odds detailed ahead.
Date: Friday, March 20
Time: 11 a.m. GMT / 6 a.m. ET
Location: Nyon, Switzerland
| Bayern Munich | 5-2 |
| Barcelona | 11-4 |
| Real Madrid | 11-4 |
| PSG | 10-1 |
| Atletico Madrid | 20-1 |
| Juventus | 22-1 |
| Borussia Dortmund | 33-1 |
| Porto | 33-1 |
| Monaco | 50-1 |
| Manchester City | 66-1 |
| Arsenal | 80-1 |
| Bayer Leverkusen | 80-1 |
| Paris Saint-Germain | 3–3 (PSG win on away goals) | Chelsea | 1–1 | 2–2 (a.e.t.) |
| Manchester City | 1–2 | Barcelona | 1–2 | Wednesday, March 18 |
| Bayer Leverkusen | 1–0 | Atlético Madrid | 1–0 | Tuesday, March 17 |
| Juventus | 2–1 | Borussia Dortmund | 2–1 | Wednesday, March 18 |
| Schalke 04 | 4–5 | Real Madrid | 0–2 | 4–3 |
| Shakhtar Donetsk | 0–7 | Bayern Munich | 0–0 | 0–7 |
| Arsenal | 1–3 | Monaco | 1–3 | Tuesday, March 17 |
| Basel | 1–5 | Porto | 1–1 | 0–4 |
The Story So Far
This past Wednesday saw Paris Saint-Germain claim their berth in the Champions League quarter-finals after Thiago Silva sealed their progress with a last-gasp header against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
The Brazilian's equaliser resulted in a 2-2 draw in the second leg, and PSG advanced on away goals, with Silva quoted by ESPN FC as stamping his desire for respect in the wake of their triumph:
One team the Parisians may not be hoping to see in the last eight is Barcelona, having won against and lost to Luis Enrique's men in the group stage.
Barca come into March 18's home leg against Manchester City having taken a 2-1 lead at the Etihad Stadium last month, but Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is among those hoping to see the Premier League side prevail, per Spanish newspaper Sport:
"I hope that Manchester City eliminate Barcelona. It's a question of honour for English football, and that's where I work."
Despite some shaky patches this season, Barca are beginning to find some consistency in attack and continue to see grand success through the trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar.
Although Real Madrid were undoubtedly the in-form team of Spain last year, and indeed Europe as a whole, Barca now sit atop La Liga, finding their momentum just when it matters most in the campaign.
That being said, Bleacher Report's Rob Pollard believes there is reason to believe Manuel Pellegrini's Manchester City side can turn things around in Catalonia:
Barca's El Clasico rivals are a potential opponent in the quarters, too, but the reigning champions of Europe aren't in their strongest vein of form after losing 4-3 to Schalke on Tuesday.
Despite scoring twice in the defeat, Cristiano Ronaldo clearly wasn't in a good mood as Real Madrid progressed in the competition, proclaiming that he won't address the media until season's end, per Bleacher Report UK:
It wasn't long ago Los Merengues were on top of the world, but Real may no longer be considered favourites to defend their title in 2015.
Instead, Bayern Munich may look the more appealing bet following a 7-0 trouncing of Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday, with Pep Guardiola's men making a statement after drawing 0-0 in the Ukraine first leg.
Der FCB are once again laying their marker as an institution of football, a powerhouse that, while not winning the Champions League every year, has regularly been there or thereabouts in years gone by.
BBC Sport shows just how dominantly the Germans outplayed Shakhtar this week, questioning whether or not Guardiola will be able to lead the Bundesliga bruisers to this season's curtain closer in Berlin:
Some of those on the outside hoping to turn the odds in their favour will be the likes of Porto, Arsenal and Atletico Madrid, with the latter looking to make it two Champions League finals in as many years.
Having eased into the last eight with a 5-1 aggregate win over Basel this week, Porto may be a dark horse to watch out for, and Phil Kitromilides of Real Madrid TV agrees:
Borussia Dortmund and Juventus are primed for a climactic round-of-16 decider at Signal Iduna Park next week after the Turin giants won their home leg 2-1, while Monaco must defend a 3-1 lead against Arsenal.
The Gunners were hugely disappointed to suffer such a damning defeat on home soil in February, but one might argue Arsene Wenger's side have improved since then.
Ever reliant on a fully fit squad, Wenger will be hoping a fit selection will give him the means to turn things around at his former French Riviera stomping ground.
Just over a week remains until we find out who will take on who in the quarter-finals of this season's Champions League, and a stellar cast looks set to line up in the tournament's closing phases.
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