CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: The path of Barça and Madrid for a Clásico in Munich

The UEFA Champions League has already defined the eight best clubs of the 2024/25 edition and the path that each of the title contenders must face to reach the final to be held on Saturday, May 31, at the Allianz Arena in Munich. Unlike the last two decades, the new format and the arrangement of the bracket after the league phase allow defining the final draw with only two draws: one before the playoff and another before the round of 16 matchups.

Once the round of 16 is resolved, both FC Barcelona and Real Madrid know the path they must overcome to reach a new Champions final. After the round of 16 draw, both teams knew they could only meet in Munich, as they ended up on opposite sides of the bracket. The 'merengues' fell on the upper side of the draw, theoretically the most complicated, while Barça goes on the opposite side, allowing them to avoid 'monsters' like Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool.

The final bracket of the Champions League 24-25

The path of Barça to the Champions final

For the azulgrana team, the path to their first final in a decade, again in Germany (the last one, in Berlin 2015), leads to a quarter-final matchup against Borussia Dortmund. Hansi Flick's team starts the tie on Wednesday, April 9, at the Lluís Companys in Montjuïc and closes the tie a week later, on Tuesday the 15th, at the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund. The Champions history currently favors the culés with 2 victories and 1 draw between the group stage and league phase.

If they eliminate Niko Kovac's team, the next opponent for Barça will come from the clash between Bayern Munich and Inter Milan. The first leg will be on Tuesday the 8th in Munich, with the return scheduled for Wednesday the 16th at the Giuseppe Meazza. The 'nerazzurri' fell in the 2023 final against Manchester City (0-1) and were eliminated last season by Atlético de Madrid in the round of 16. The Bavarians, on the other hand, have not reached the final since 2020 and were just a step away from Wembley last year against Real Madrid.

⚽Quarter-finals for Barça:

1. First leg: Wednesday, April 9, in Montjuïc against Borussia Dortmund.
2. Return leg: Tuesday, April 15, at Signal Iduna Park, against Borussia Dortmund.

⚽Possible semi-finals for Barça:

1. First leg:  April 29 or 30 in Montjuïc, against Bayern or Inter.
2. Return leg: May 6 or 7 in Munich or Milan, against Bayern or Inter.

The path of Real Madrid to another final in Munich

In this sense, the 'merengues' are in search of their second consecutive final and the third in the last four seasons. The first obstacle for Carlo Ancelotti's team will be Arsenal, a club they have only faced once in the tournament. It was in the round of 16 in 2005/06, with a global victory for the 'gunners' by the minimum (1-0). The first leg will be in London on Tuesday, April 8, and the return leg will be on Wednesday the 16th at the Santiago Bernabéu.

If Madrid eliminates Arsenal, in the 'semis' they will face Paris Saint-Germain or Aston Villa. Unai Emery's team has been one of the big surprises of the season, while the team led by Luis Enrique has improved, eliminating Liverpool in the round of 16 after overcoming the playoff against Brest. PSG eagerly awaits a new clash against the whites, after the tough eliminations in 2018 and 2022, both in the round of 16.

⚽Quarter-finals for Madrid:

1. First leg: Tuesday, April 8, at the Emirates Stadium, against Arsenal.
2. Return leg: Wednesday, April 16, at the Santiago Bernabéu, against Arsenal.

⚽Possible semi-finals for Madrid:

1. First leg:  April 29 or 30 at the Santiago Bernabéu, against PSG or Aston Villa.
2. Return leg: May 6 or 7 in Paris or Birmingham, against PSG or Aston Villa.