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Even Harry Kane won't be able to prevent Bayern from exiting the Champions League

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Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

“A nice draw,” Thomas Müller commented on the upcoming opponents in the Champions League.

He should know: After all, with FC Bayern Munich he played often enough against Arsenal FC and won often enough.

In 2017/2018 the duel between the two teams ended 10-2 after the first and second leg.

The past is above all one thing: the past.

For coach Thomas Tuchel, Arsenal FC is “one of the best teams in Europe,” and he speaks of the “most difficult path you can imagine.”

Tuchel is known for looking at things in a rather sober manner.

With the Londoners, Bayern have got a draw that will challenge them to the limit.

This certainly also applies to the second German participant in the quarter-finals, Borussia Dortmund.

Atlético, Diego Simeone's most accomplished team.

Hard material.

Nevertheless, this time things are going to be different than usual. In the end, Bayern will no longer be in the competition, but BVB will be.

At least if you can believe the SPIEGEL sports editorial team's forecast.

The path for FC Barcelona and Manchester City will also end in the quarterfinals.

Not a good customer for Pep Guardiola.

But it's just a prediction.

FC Arsenal vs FC Bayern Munich

Bayern against Arsenal – that’s a clear thing.

For a while this was the annual favorite in the Champions League, often in the round of 16.

And if there was one thing you could rely on, it was the fact that Bayern usually gave the Gunners a pack.

But in the past you could also rely on FC Bayern becoming German champions.

There are no more certainties, but that's not the only reason why it will be very unpleasant for the people of Munich to travel to London this time.

Arsenal have reinvented themselves under coach Mikel Arteta.

The Londoners are currently leading the table in the Premier League, they have been on a run for weeks and are scoring four or five goals almost every game - to which Kai Havertz contributes a few.

Arsenal are an exciting team with Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, William Saliba and Bukayo Saka.

Even Arsenal expert Serge Gnabry can't save much.

The SPIEGEL forecast:

FC Bayern will be eliminated, and Arsenal will also ensure that England overtakes Germany in the season's standings for fifth Champions League place.

(Aha)

Atletico Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund

And once again it's clear: BVB, so often criticized for their supposed mentality deficits, against what is recognized as the dirtiest and most ripped off team in all of Europe - that can only go wrong.

But the same applies here: no more certainties.

Atlético is probably the best draw that BVB could get in this quarter-final.

Simeone's troops are weak in the league and appear vulnerable.

Antoine Griezmann's best days are behind him.

And BVB has good experience with Champions League quarter-finals against Spanish teams.

Keyword: Malaga.

The SPIEGEL prediction:

It will be very close, but in the end an unspectacular goal from Niclas Füllkrug ensures progress.

After that and because of the Bundesliga defeat at Borussia Mönchengladbach, Edin Terzic's future can continue to be debated.

(Aha)

Real Madrid vs Manchester City

A test of strength of superlatives, even in the quarter-finals.

Real Madrid and Manchester City are Europe's outstanding teams of the last decade.

One team won the Champions League in a row, the other dominated the best league in the world.

Last season the two met in the semi-finals, where City clearly prevailed.

Madrid wants to return the favor for this.

The team often has to tremble, but then wins because individual players (Jude Bellingham) perform heroic deeds.

City, on the other hand, lost on St. Nicholas Day, but is particularly confident against underdogs.

In games against top teams such as Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Tottenham, Pep Guardiola's team only managed one win.

The SPIEGEL prediction:

In the knockout mode, when the moment counts, Real Madrid will prevail and throw the defending champions out of the tournament.

(mrk)

Paris Saint Germain vs FC Barcelona

Barcelona are in the quarter-finals for the first time in four years and will face Kylian Mbappé, who will probably terrorize the Catalans more often in the coming years.

Before moving to Real Madrid, the Frenchman has the chance to endear himself to his future fans by knocking Barça out of the competition.

In 36 competitive games, the 25-year-old striker has 35 goals and seven assists, so conceding goals for Barcelona are almost guaranteed.

Mbappé's counterpart, Robert Lewandowski, is showing signs of age in his second Barcelona season: "Only" 26 goals in 38 games, which looked better.

The SPIEGEL forecast:

Barça plays too rarely against top teams and no longer has the outstanding individual talent to suddenly cope with such a task.

Paris makes it to the semi-finals.

(mrk)