Bayern and Real's dream final ruled out by draw

Bayern Munich and Real Madrid had their hopes of meeting in a dream Champions League final ended on Friday, when they were paired in the quarter-finals.

Both clubs had wanted to face the other in a showdown at Hampden Park, Glasgow on May 15 that would have evoked memories of Real Madrid's famous 7-3 win over another German team -- Eintracht Frankfurt -- at the same venue in 1960.

Madrid's international director Jose Luis Lopez Serrano, flanked by former player Emilio Butragueno, shook his head in disbelief after the draw was made.

"This is what we had hoped to avoid," he said. "I don't think it could have been much worse for us.

"This is our centenary season and we hoped to meet a German club, hopefully our great friends Bayern Munich, in the final in Glasgow.

"It would have been a special kind of dream, but it is not to be. We know how tough this quarter-final will be -- they are always very difficult opponents."

Bayern Munich's sporting director Karl-Heinz Rummenigge agreed.

"They are going to be two great games between two great teams, but it would have been better if we had met in the semifinals, or preferably the final," he said.

"We have played them in the semifinals in the last two seasons and the winners have reached the final and won."

DRAW HIGHLIGHT

The clash between the 2001 and 2000 champions, who have won the European Cup 12 times between them, was the highlight of a draw that also kept all the clubs of the same nationality apart.

It handed 1999 champions Manchester United a tricky assignment against Deportivo La Coruna, paired Barcelona with Panathinaikos and handed Liverpool a last-eight clash with Bayer Leverkusen.

The draw for the semifinals, made immediately after that for the quarter-finals, conjured up a galling prospect for Real Madrid.

If they overcome Bayern, they could meet Barcelona in an all-Spanish semifinal, providing the Catalans beat Greek side Panathinaikos.

"We have a very good record, statistically, against Madrid, but they have great individual stars," said Rummenigge.

"I think Bayern Munich is the only team in Europe to have won more often than they have lost against them.

"I know we went there and won two seasons ago, but now I think Real Madrid have a stronger team with fantastic individual players like (Zinedine) Zidane, (Luis) Figo, Carlos Alberto and Raul. It will be very hard to get through.

"I think they are looking stronger this year than last when we beat then in Madrid and in Munich to reach the final."

Rummenigge added that he felt Bayern had emerged from a recent spell of poor form.

"We are getting some positive results and looking good in the league and in the Champions League, but if you look the history you will see that we are trying to be the first team to defend their title successfully in the last 10 years," he said.

While Rummenigge lamented the challenge ahead, Manchester United and Liverpool officials breathed a sigh of relief at avoiding each other in the last eight.

AVENGE DEFEATS

United's spokesperson at the draw, club secretary Ken Merritt, said they were happy to face Deportivo in a tie that offers them a chance to avenge two group stage defeats by the Spaniards earlier in the season.

"We were not in such good shape then and we are playing much better now," he said. "We are glad to have a chance of revenge for what happened then. It is a good draw for us."

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry was less happy with his club's pairing with Bayer Leverkusen, but conceded that he was glad to have avoided domestic rivals Manchester United.

"Emotionally, that was important for us," he said. "But we are confident that we can beat any of the teams left in the competition now over two legs on our day."

Merritt added that he was pleased also that the draw kept alive Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson's dream of returning to his native Glasgow, possibly for a final against Real Madrid.

"That's still on and that's good," he said. "But if we play Liverpool in the semis, that will be a hell of a game for Lancashire and the north-west (of England)."

In the UEFA Cup draw, it was the two Italian clubs who sighed with relief as Inter and AC Milan were kept apart for the semifinals.

Internazionale face Feyenoord of the Netherlands and Milan meet German club Borussia Dortmund.

"If we meet in the final, it will be a beautiful final," said Milan's representative Umberto Gandini.