Champions League - PSG

[Somniloquism]

Brackets for the knockout stages have been in place for ages including in 1982. Not many people were calling for individual draws then so why change it. Especially as it means we have to send over club officials for each draw if they did that.

[Hookeysmith]

Lets be positive

At any round no one will want to play in 2 legs against us - especially at VP

[Brazilian Villain]

Lets be positive

At any round no one will want to play in 2 legs against us - especially at VP

I doubt they'll allow us to have both legs at Villa Park.

[cdbearsfan]

Bugger, we're not drawing Gravesend and Northfleet, then?

[Demitri_C]

Not rocket science or difficult so not sure why uefa have to complicate it all

I guess it's to give some sort of "reward" for finishing higher up the league. Otherwise it wouldn't really matter if you came first or eighth.

Obviously you could finish first and draw Real Madrid or finish eighth and draw Brugge so it's not exactly flawless, but I assume that's the reasoning.

.thats probably the logic behind it. Not sure it benefits any side though as most of the sides at the lattee stages are decent. Only thing for me thats a advantage  is 2nd leg at home.

Its like the seedings, it doesnt benefit anyone like the old way as your still playing two from each four sections. The old way benefited the bigger sides.

One of the key reasons i prefer this format. Its much more fairer

[Flamingo Lane]

I'm sure it's an advantage having not had to play the two high pressure high intensity games that eight of the teams have had to play last week and this. For some of these teams, these games will have felt like two cup finals.

[Somniloquism]

How does the Champions League quarter-final draw work?
The draw is made to determine the order of the matches (i.e. which team will host the first leg and which team the return leg) as all the potential opponents are known until the final.

Four bowls are prepared for this draw, two for the silver side of the bracket and two for the blue side of the bracket. Each bowl contains two balls representing the winners of the round of 16 matches from one rung of the relevant side of the bracket, with the first silver bowl containing slips of paper marked 'Winners R16 1' and 'Winners R16 2' and the second silver bowl 'Winners R16 3' and 'Winners R16 4'.

The first bowl on the blue side will contain slips of paper marked ‘Winners R16 5’ and 'Winners R16 6' and, finally, 'Winners R16 7' and 'Winners R16 8' in the second bowl on the blue side.

The draw starts by shuffling and then drawing the balls placed in the first bowl of the silver side of the bracket. The first ball drawn from this bowl indicates the team which will play the first match of the quarter-final at home, and the second ball the team which will play the return leg at home.

The procedure is repeated with the remaining bowls to complete the quarter-final pairings.

Obviously also similar for the SF draw, however this last line is interesting.

As the teams were designated to a side of the bracket by the draw for the knockout phase play-off / round of 16, no draw is made for the final. The winners of the semi-final on the silver side of the bracket are designated as the nominal home team for the final.

So if Bayern fluke it to the final, they would be the "away" team in their home ground.

[eye digress]

Brugge please next round.

Then let PSG see off the RedScouse for our first ever meeting with a Paris team, I believe, in our 150th year.

Would be some way to celebrate!

[LeeB]

How does the Champions League quarter-final draw work?
The draw is made to determine the order of the matches (i.e. which team will host the first leg and which team the return leg) as all the potential opponents are known until the final.

Four bowls are prepared for this draw, two for the silver side of the bracket and two for the blue side of the bracket. Each bowl contains two balls representing the winners of the round of 16 matches from one rung of the relevant side of the bracket, with the first silver bowl containing slips of paper marked 'Winners R16 1' and 'Winners R16 2' and the second silver bowl 'Winners R16 3' and 'Winners R16 4'.

The first bowl on the blue side will contain slips of paper marked ‘Winners R16 5’ and 'Winners R16 6' and, finally, 'Winners R16 7' and 'Winners R16 8' in the second bowl on the blue side.

The draw starts by shuffling and then drawing the balls placed in the first bowl of the silver side of the bracket. The first ball drawn from this bowl indicates the team which will play the first match of the quarter-final at home, and the second ball the team which will play the return leg at home.

The procedure is repeated with the remaining bowls to complete the quarter-final pairings.

Obviously also similar for the SF draw, however this last line is interesting.

As the teams were designated to a side of the bracket by the draw for the knockout phase play-off / round of 16, no draw is made for the final. The winners of the semi-final on the silver side of the bracket are designated as the nominal home team for the final.

So if Bayern fluke it to the final, they would be the "away" team in their home ground.

It would be a shame if we had to face them, as it wouldn't be thd first time they'd be beaten in the final on their own ground.

[Brazilian Villain]

It would be a shame if we had to face them, as it wouldn't be thd first time they'd be beaten in the final on their own ground.

Bloody Bayern bar stewards, that was one of the few occasions I wanted them to win. See also May 26, 1999.

[cdbearsfan]

Aye, twats. I remember them getting a penalty. Team full of German robots so they send for... a Dutch bloke. FFS.

[Rory]

It would be a shame if we had to face them, as it wouldn't be thd first time they'd be beaten in the final on their own ground.

Bloody Bayern bar stewards, that was one of the few occasions I wanted them to win. See also May 26, 1999.

Man Utd's second goal that day was my introduction to the word cunt, courtesy of my Dad.

[Meanwood Villa]

It would be a shame if we had to face them, as it wouldn't be thd first time they'd be beaten in the final on their own ground.

Bloody Bayern bar stewards, that was one of the few occasions I wanted them to win. See also May 26, 1999.

Man Utd's second goal that day was my introduction to the word cunt, courtesy of my Dad.

I watched the 1999 final in a bar in Shrewsbury where I seemed to be the only person not wanting those ****** to win. The feeling was akin to after a Tory election win. How can so many people be so wrong? Makes one ponder on the futility of life.

[Drummond]

We know we have Dortmund or Bruges.

If we get through we know it will be 1 of the following 4.... Liverpool, Barcelona, Benfica or PSG. Because those are the teams in that part of the draw.

After that it is way too wide open.

[Demitri_C]

PSG would be a interesting  one as we have never played them. Would love to see how we did against them