 |
| Jurgen Klopp |
This prompted English fans to start dreaming of Ukrainian capital Kiev hosting an all-England final later in the year.
However, that dream received a serious setback in the return legs of the round of the last 16, as Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur both suffered home defeats and were knocked out.
Also out were Chelsea, who failed to get the better of Barcelona.
Worse was to follow on Friday, when the two remaining English Premier League clubs - Manchester City and Liverpool - were drawn against each other in the quarter-finals.
Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp told journalists: “I think it is an absolute dream draw, for all Manchester United fans. I really don’t mind.
“I knew it would be difficult and that is difficult. The good news is for Manchester City it will be difficult as well.
“I saw Txiki Begiristain’s (Manchester City director of football) face after the draw, and it didn’t look like it was Christmas and Easter on the same day,” the German said.
Germany’s sole representative - Bayern Munich - were mostly smiles as they avoided Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid, instead facing Sevilla, arguably the weakest of the eight teams in the competition.
Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes, who spent several years coaching in Spain and won the Champions League with Real Madrid in 1998, did not share the euphoric reaction to the draw.
“I know Sevilla, I know Spanish football. It is certainly not an easy passage into the next round. They will be very difficult opponents.”
German international Thomas Müller, however, is already thinking beyond the next round. “We have a lot of confidence and want to play like that. We want to win that thing and have not been in a final for a long time, so we want to qualify,” he said.