Arsenal legend Thierry Henry says there are only two teams that he doesn’t want to see his former club face in the next round of the Champions League.
The Gunners secured their place in the quarter-finals after beating Porto on penalties earlier this week and, with the other 7 opponents now officially confirmed, Henry said that Arsenal would want to avoid Real Madrid and Manchester City:
“Look there are two teams there that can be cocky, in brackets, it’s Real Madrid and Man City, that’s about it. The others you just take who you get. I think City are still the team to beat, for me.”
Real, in particular, are masters in the knockout rounds of this competition so it may be better if Mikel Arteta’s side do steer clear of them for now.
Going up against another English club has its own pitfalls, considering the two sides would know each other so well. The fact that City are reigning European champions would also make Arsenal’s task even more difficult if they do draw them.
When does the draw for the Champions League quarter-final take place?
The draw takes place at 12:00 CET/11:00 GMT in Switzerland on Friday 15th March. Due to the way things work, Arsenal will also find out who they could potentially meet in the semi-finals and final.
There is no seeding for the draw, and there are no rules against facing an opponent from the same country, which means that there is a possibility that the Gunners will play City.
Are Arsenal among the favourites to win the Champions League?
Arteta’s men are second favourites among the vast majority of bookmakers, with Unibet pricing them at 9/2. Real Madrid are currently third at the bookies.
Unsurprisingly, Manchester City are the frontrunners to retain the trophy they won in Turkey last June.
