Arsenal draw Barca in quarter-finals

Arsenal and Barcelona will meet for the first time since the 2006 Champions League final after they were paired together in the quarter-finals.

The second leg of the last-eight clash will come just days before Barca face their crucial clasico showdown with Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.

It's a week which may well decide their season. And Arsenal will play the north London derby at Tottenham the same weekend of April 10, too.

The first leg will be at the Emirates, and the return leg will see Francesc Fabregas return to his former club for the first time.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was quick to make his side the underdogs and said: "If you go to the bookmakers and try to place a few pounds, you will see that we are not favourites against Barcelona. Of course they are a good side, but so are we.

"For me, we have a 50/50 game - if we turn up with our best performance we have a good chance to beat them. It will be an interesting, exciting game. We have to make sure we have the belief and focus right."

Barcelona sporting director Txiki Beguiristain said: "It's a great tie. We are two teams who don't shut up shop and play long ball football, and this tie will be nice for the fans.

"It will be a good spectacle and we'll see if we are a little stronger than them. In any case, the best news is knowing that we will be playing the return leg at home. We are strong at home and we've shown that.

"Cesc returns to the Nou Camp but Thierry Henry will also face his former team and that makes it even more interesting."