AC Milan and rivals Inter are both drawn at home in the Champions League quarter-finals... but why will Inter's tie be reversed so they play at Benfica first?

  • The draw for the quarter-finals of the competition took place this morning 
  • AC Milan and Inter are both scheduled to play their first legs at home 
  • UEFA does have the power to enforce a fixture reversal if it's necessary 

The Champions League quarter-final draw took place on Friday with both AC Milan and Inter Milan given home ties in the first leg. 

Stefano Pioli's AC Milan will face fellow Serie A side Napoli, while Inter face Portuguese side Benfica - with three teams in the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2005-06.

Both Milan and Inter have been scheduled to play at home despite both playing at the San Siro.   


UEFA will have to bring in a fixture reversal if they are both scheduled to play on the same day. The European governing body has a firm stance on fixture changes should it ever be needed. 

But how can a Champions League draw be reversed? And why will Inter's game be moved? Sportsmail provides all the answers below. 

AC Milan and rivals Inter have both been drawn at home in the Champions League quarter-finals first leg

AC Milan and rivals Inter have both been drawn at home in the Champions League quarter-finals first leg 

The Serie A rivals play at the same stadium - the San Siro - so a fixture change could be needed

The Serie A rivals play at the same stadium - the San Siro - so a fixture change could be needed 

 

How can a Champions League draw be reversed?

Should two teams in the same city be scheduled to play on the same day, one of the games will be reversed - as per UEFA's protocol. 

If this scenario occurs, UEFA will attempt to play the games on consecutive days.

However, Inter and Milan are not permitted to play home games without 24 hours of each other due to regulations from their local authorities in Milan.

In this case, one fixture is played as normal and the other is reversed.

The only time when a UEFA tie cannot be reversed is the Champions League round of 16 and the Europa League and Conference League knockout round play-off and round of 16 clash. 

UEFA have a firm stance on when a fixture or a draw can be reversed in the Champions League

UEFA have a firm stance on when a fixture or a draw can be reversed in the Champions League 

 

Why will Inter's game be reversed?

Despite being drawn to play at home before AC Milan, Inter's game with Benfica will now be reversed.

The team with higher priority in UEFA's Champions League participants will play their fixture as scheduled, while the team lower down will have their game reversed. 

As Milan are the reigning Serie A champions, they will have priority. Piolo's men finished two points above their rivals last season.

The UEFA rules regarding the priority of Champions League participants are as follows:

  1. UEFA Champions League titleholder
  2. UEFA Europa League titleholder
  3. Domestic champion club 
  4. League runner-up
  5. Next best-ranked team in the domestic league championship
Manchester United's had their Champions League quarter-final tie against Barcelona reversed in 2019 as they had finished below Manchester City the season before

Manchester United's had their Champions League quarter-final tie against Barcelona reversed in 2019 as they had finished below Manchester City the season before

City played their Champions League second leg against Tottenham at home as a result

City played their Champions League second leg against Tottenham at home as a result

This means that Inter's scheduled first leg at home against Benfica on April 11 will now take place in Portugal. 

In 2019, both Manchester City and Manchester United were drawn at home in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. 

United were due to play Barcelona, while City were due to play Tottenham on Wednesday, April 17.

However, because United finished lower than City in the Premier League the previous season, their tie was reversed - meaning they played the first leg at home and the second leg in Barcelona.

Meanwhile, City finished as the home team in their second leg against Tottenham.

This year's final will take place  at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul on June 10

This year's final will take place  at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul on June 10

 

When will the Champions League quarter-finals take place?

The Champions League quarter-final first leg will take place on Tuesday 11 and Wednesday 12 April, with the return legs scheduled for 18 and 19 April. 

On the same day as the quarter final draw, the semi final draw will also take place.

The semi-final first legs will be on May 9 and 10, while the second legs will take place a week later.

This year's final will take place on Saturday, June 10 at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul.

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