NYON, Switzerland, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Defending champions Real Madrid will meet last season's beaten finalists Juventus in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. Premier League sides Liverpool and Manchester City will go head-to-head following the draw here on Friday.
Real Madrid crushed Juventus 4-1 in last season's final, becoming the first side to defend the title in the Champions League era and improving their number of title wins to 12.
Juventus and Real Madrid have met in 19 matches, with "Juve" winning eight and Madrid nine, including the finals in 1998 and 2017.
Cristiano Ronaldo, the tournament's leading scorer will undoubtedly be the player to watch for Juventus, as the Portuguese has seven goals in five matches against the Serie A leaders.
In an open quarterfinals draw, clubs from the same national association can be drawn against each other. Five-time winners Liverpool and current Premier League leaders Manchester City were drawn against each other.
The two sides have never met in European tournaments before, but in domestic fixtures Liverpool have dominated, recording 87 wins to City's 45.
The Reds are the only side to beat Pep Guardiola's outfit in this season's Premier League. Roma will face an uphill challenge against La Liga giant Barcelona, who made it into the quarterfinals for the 11th consecutive season.
"We knew we would have faced a top side, whoever we got. But we are convinced we will represent our colors well," commented Roma legend and current director Francesco Totti.
Sevilla, who eliminated Manchester United in the round of 16, will next meet five-time champions Bayern Munich. "Facing Sevilla for the first time. Excited for another big challenge against a strong opponent," Bayern midfielder David Alaba tweeted.
The first-leg matches of the Champions League quarterfinals will be held on April 3 and April 4, with the return legs a week later. The final will be held on May 26 in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.
