UEFA Champions League quarterfinal draw 2015: Madrid derby the big highlight

FC Porto have somehow avoided playing anyone great thus far in the UEFA Champions League. Their regular Europa League runs in off-years have kept them in the top tier of the coefficients, so they managed to draw an easy group and then a pretty favorable Round of 16 matchup. Now they face Bayern Munich, and they’re probably going to get crushed.

That’s not to say Porto aren’t a good team. There’s every possibility that they’re one of the best 8-to-16 teams in Europe, and they’ve certainly looked great thus far. But Bayern Munich have torn up this competition and the Bundesliga with ease, and they’ve done it with their best players injured. By April 15th, they should be healthy if they don’t pick up any new injuries.

There is only one team that Real Madrid could have been drawn against that would have made them serious underdogs. Sure, they might not be picked to beat Barcelona or Bayern Munich, but those draws wouldn’t have produced the same kind of existential dread that a draw against Atlético Madrid does.

While Atléti simply don’t have the depth or individual brilliance to crush La Liga sides with the same regularity as Spain’s big two, they’re a team perfectly constructed for knockout football. They pushed Real Madrid to extra time in the Champions League final last season, and had it taken place over two legs, Atléti probably would have come out on top.

Paris Saint-Germain have been drawn against Barcelona in the Champions League quarterfinals, having already played each other in the group stages this season. When they met in Paris a few months back, the hosts emerged 3-2 winners, though they lost 3-1 away in Barcelona. As those earlier matches suggest, this should be a very close tie between two teams who will no doubt consider themselves to be serious contenders to lift the trophy in Berlin in June.

PSG may be one of the wealthiest teams in the world, but up until this season they’d never really looked like genuine Champions League contenders. Now, though, after eliminating Chelsea with just 10 men in the round of 16, they’re looking as strong as ever -- despite being engaged in a tight three-way battle at the head of their domestic division. Barça, meanwhile, are sat top of the La Liga table, and boast the most dangerous strike force in world football. Everyone knows quite how good they can be when on form.

The UEFA Champions League has reached the quarterfinals, meaning we have just two rounds to go until the final in Berlin. Two rounds until we see a pair of teams go for glory. Two rounds of incredible action and high drama.

But first we have to have a draw to actually see who plays who in the quarterfinals.