In a repeat of last year's final, holders Bayern face French champions Paris St. Germain, while Dortmund have a tough assignment against the Premier League leaders.
Bayern Munich are the Champions League holdersImage: Sven Hoppe/dpa/picture alliance
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Bundesliga title holders Bayern Munich were matched with Paris Saint Germain in the quarterfinals of this year's Champions League.
The clash is a rematch of last year's final, which Bayern went on to win. Bayern beat PSG 1-0 last August, behind closed doors in Lisbon. The Bavarians are seeking a seventh European Cup having won 18 and drawn one of their 19 games in the Champions League since the beginning of last season.
Travel curbs likely to play a part
Meanwhile, German runners-up Borussia Dortmund are paired with runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City. The English side, managed by former Bayern boss Pep Guardiola, are favorites to go through. Travel restrictions between the UK and Germany could also have an impact on where the tie will be played.
Real Madrid play Jurgen Klopp's winners Liverpool, who won the title in 2019. The meeting is another re-run of a recent final, with the Spaniards beating the Reds 3-1 in Kiev in 2018 to win the last of their record 13 titles to date.
From Mbappe and Lewandowski to Müller, the top 10 all-time Champions League goalscorers list is full of stars.
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 48 goals
Zlatan Ibrahimovic's 48 goals in the Champions League have been spread over six different clubs: Ajax (6 goals), Juventus (3), Inter Milan (6), Barcelona (4), AC Milan (9) and Paris Saint-Germain (20). Despite all that club hopping - he also played for Manchester United, although he didn't score - he never managed to be with the right team at the right time to lift the Champions League trophy.
Image: Reuters
Kylian Mbappe – 49 goals
After bursting on the scene as a young star at Monaco and then establishing himself at Paris St. Germain, French superstar Kylian Mbappe is already climbing the all-time Champions League scorer list. The 25-year-old bagged a remarkable 42 goals in 64 games for PSG on the biggest European stage, and has already scored in the competition for his new club Real Madrid.
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Thierry Henry – 50 goals
The French striker cracked the half-century mark over his long career in the Champions League, finding the back of the net for three clubs: Monaco (7 goals), Arsenal (35) and Barcelona (8). Having won the World Cup with France in 1998, Henry would also go on to win the Champions League with Barca in 2008-09.
At 34, Thomas Müller is still rising up the ranks of the top 10. At the age of 19, Müller scored his first Champions League goals for Bayern Munich in a 7-1 win over Sporting Lisbon in March 2009. He won the Champions League twice with Bayern, in 2012-13 and 2019-20 and keeps scoring as he ages. (*as of September 28, 2021)
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Ruud van Nistelrooy – 56 goals
Dutch striker Rutgerus Johannes Martinus van Nistelrooij scored for three clubs in the Champions League: PSV Eindhoven (8 goals), Manchester United (35) and Real Madrid (13). Van Nistelrooy failed to win a Champions League title, but he was the top scorer in Europe's top competition in three different seasons.
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Raul – 71 goals
Raul is truly a legend at Real Madrid. The long-time captain made more appearances for Real than any other player, with 550 games in La Liga and 132 in the Champions League. He also led Real to the Champions League title three times. Raul scored five of his 71 Champions League goals during his two-year stint with Schalke in the twilight of his career.
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Karim Benzema - 90 goals
The Frenchman now plays in Saudi Arabia, but made his scoring debut in the Champions League for Lyon at the tender age of 18. Benzema left Lyon in 2009 to become one of Real Madrid's ost prolific strikers, helping them lift the Champions League trophy four times. He has a total of 90 goals in Europe's most prestigious club competition, 78 of them scored in the white of Madrid.
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Robert Lewandowski - 99 goals*
In third place in the all-time scorer's list is The Best FIFA Men's Player of 2020, Robert Lewandowski. The Poland striker secured that honor in part by becoming the top scorer in the Champions League in the 2019/20 with 15 goals. Over his Champions League career he has scored 17 goals for Borussia Dortmund, 69 times for Bayern and currently has managed 13 for Barcelona. (*as of November 7, 2024)
Image: Isabella Bonotto/Anadolu/picture alliance
Lionel Messi - 129 goals
Lionel Messi might be playing for Inter Miami now in the MLS, but few can forget how good he was for Barcelona. The diminutive Argentine scored 120 goals in his Champions League career with the Spanish club, finishing the competition's top scorer six times and winning three titles. His last tournament outing was for PSG, but his nine goals were never accompanied by a title.
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Cristiano Ronaldo - 140 goals
It's no coincidence that the Portuguese superstar has won the Champions League five times. Wherever he has played, whether it be Manchester United (21 goals), Real Madrid (105) or Juventus (14) – Cristiano Ronaldo has always found the back of the net. Although no longer playing in Europe, Ronaldo is the undisputed top scorer in Europe's top club competition.
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The semifinals are due to be played in late April and early May, with the final expected to be on May 29 in Istanbul.
