Barca play Benfica in quarters

Six-Times European champions AC Milan, who lost last year8217;s final to Liverpool on penalties following a scintillating 3-3 draw after extra time, face Olympique Lyon who like Arsenal have never progressed beyond the last eight.

Newcomers Villarreal face the winners of the first knockout round tie between Inter Milan and Ajax, who play their second leg next Tuesday with the score 2-2.

Should both Barcelona, who lost the 1961 European Cup final to Benfica, and Milan progress to the semi-finals they will meet for the eighth time.

The head-to-head series stands at three wins each and includes the memorable 1994 final won 4-0 by the Italian side.

The quarter-finals are scheduled for March 28 and 29 and April 4 and 5, the semi-finals for April 18/19 and 25/26 and the final at the Stade de France on May 17.

Frank Rijkaard8217;s fine Barcelona side, who eliminated Chelsea3-2 on aggregate in the glamour tie of the previous round, come up against a team also coached by a Dutchman and a former Barca player, Ronald Koeman.

Koeman made his mark in Barcelona history by scoring the only goal in their sole European Cup success when they beat Sampdoria in the 1992 final at Wembley. Reuters