FANS claimed the Champions League draw is “fixed” after the English clubs landed horror opponents.
Chelsea were pitted against reigning champions Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.
Manchester City must get past Bayern Munich to reach the semi-finals.
To make matters worse, the Premier League rivals are in the same half of the draw and therefore would meet in a potential semi-final.
On the other side, Benfica face Inter Milan and AC Milan are up against Napoli – with one of those clubs guaranteed to reach the final in Istanbul on June 10.
And it did not take long for English football fans to lament the nightmare scenario.
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One said: “This draw is fixed.”
Another wrote: “Tell me the Champions League draw isn’t fixed when Chelsea draw Real and City draw Bayern…”
A third added: “No way they fixed it for Napoli to reach the final lmao.”
And a final user commented: “Really just had to stack one half of the draw like that.”
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Chelsea fans felt particularly aggrieved as they will face Real Madrid for the third season in a row.
The Blues came out on top in their 2021 semi-final on their way to lifting Ol’ Big Ears.
But they came unstuck in a dramatic quarter-final 12 months ago and will be hoping there is no repeat this time around.
One Chelsea fan said: “Real Madrid vs Chelsea for three seasons in a row is weird.”
And another raged: “Real Madrid vs Chelsea for three years in a row, F*** off.”
Pep Guardiola, meanwhile, must go back to the Allianz Arena to face his old side – and former winger Leroy Sane.
The Etihad side thrashed RB Leipzig 8-1 in the last 16, thanks in large part to Erling Haaland’s incredible FIVE goals.
And he will surely need to deliver something special again to get past the defending German champions and six-time Champions League winners.
And the lop-sided draw means a guaranteed blockbuster semi-final between Real or Chelsea and City or Bayern – and no repeat of the 2021 final.
However, it presents a major chance for Napoli, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Benfica to go all the way.
Inter were the last Italian side to be crowned European champions under Jose Mourinho in 2010, their third title.
The most recent of AC’s seven crowns came in 2007 while Benfica’s pair came in back-to-back seasons in 1961 and 1962.
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Like Manchester City, however, Napoli have never won the European Cup or Champions League.
In fact, this is the first time the runaway Serie A leaders have reached the quarter-finals in ten attempts dating back to 1987-88.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
