Chelsea and Bayern Munich secured the last remaining two Champions League quarter-final places on Wednesday, completing a stunning line-up for the remainder of Europe's elite club competition.
The draw for the next round takes place on Friday at 3pm in Nyon, Switzerland, and here are the remaining contenders, their pedigree in the European Cup, and how they reached the last eight this season.
Liverpool
Group stage: Group D winners
Last-16 result: 4-0 versus RB Leipzig (A: 2-0, H: 2-0)
European Cup best: Winners - 6 (1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005, 2019)
Despite inconsistent domestic form which has scuppered the defence of their Premier League title, Jurgen Klopp's side have been lifted by the solid displays in seeing off RB Leipzig 2-0 in each leg to book a quarter-final place. After the then holders were knocked out by Atletico Madrid in the last 16 a year ago, the Reds are hungry for another crack at a seventh European triumph.
Real Madrid
Group stage: Group B winners
Last 16 result: 4-1 versus Atalanta (A: 0-1, H: 3-1)
European Cup best: Winners - 13 (1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018)
Real Madrid swept past Atalanta to book their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in three seasons. Los Blancos may not be the force they once were, but Zinedine Zidane's squad have hit a decent run of form, unbeaten since the start of February, and remain one to avoid in the draw.
Manchester City
Group stage: Group C winners
Last 16 result: 4-0 versus Borussia Monchengladbach (A: 2-0, H: 2-0)
European Cup best: Semi-finals (2016)
Manchester City cruised into the last eight for the fourth year in a row after comfortably dispatching Borussia Monchengladbach. For all their domestic prowess, sitting 14 points clear at the top of the Premier League, boss Pep Guardiola knows European glory remains top of the agenda as his free-scoring side chase a potential unprecedented quadruple. Last season's disappointment of being knocked out by Lyon in a one-legged quarter-final will only fuel the desire to set the record straight.
Borussia Dortmund
Group stage: Group F winners
Last 16 result: 5-4 versus Sevilla (A: 3-2, H: 2-2)
European Cup best: Winners (1997)
Dortmund striker Erling Braut Haaland is this season's Champions League top scorer with 10 goals. However, despite a formidable forward line, the Bundesliga side still look a bit vulnerable at the back, and conceded twice in both legs against Sevilla. As exciting a ride as it has been, facing one of Europe's heavyweights in the last eight could prove a stage too far for Edin Terzic's squad - who are hoping England winger Jadon Sancho can recover from an ankle injury in time for the quarter-finals in April.
Paris Saint-Germain
Group stage: Group H winners
Last 16 result: 5-2 versus Barcelona (A: 4-1, H: 1-1)
European Cup best: Runners-up (2020)
Kylian Mbappe's hat-trick helped the French side dispatch Barcelona in the last 16 following a superb 4-1 first leg win. Mauricio Pochettino is looking to progress the squad which finished runners-up to Bayern Munich in last season's truncated tournament finale. While they may be playing catch-up behind Lyon in Ligue 1, PSG remain a threat to any side pulled out of the draw on Friday.
Porto
Group stage: Group C runners-up
Last 16 result: 4-4 versus Juventus, won on away goals (H: 2-1, A: 2-3 aet)
European Cup best: Winners - 2 (1987, 2004)
Built around the midfield industry of Jesus Corona, Porto are the dark horses of the last eight, having shocked Juventus in the last 16 with a dramatic 3-2 victory after extra-time to progress on away goals over Cristiano Ronaldo's star-studded side. Domestically, Porto trail Sporting Lisbon by 10 points, but will fancy their chances of further progress in Europe no matter the opposition.
Bayern Munich
Group stage: Group A winners
Last 16 result: 6-2 versus Lazio (A: 1-4, H: 2-1)
European Cup best: Winners (holders) - 6 (1974, 1975, 1976, 2001, 2013, 2020)
Holders Bayern had all but made sure of their quarter-final place with a 4-1 win in the away leg against Lazio and completed the job on Wednesday night at the Allianz Arena. The Bundesliga leaders will fear no-one as they aim to march on towards the final in Istanbul and, with prolific Poland striker Robert Lewandowski in top form, they will take some stopping along the way.
Chelsea
Group stage: Group E winners
Last 16 result: 3-0 versus Atletico Madrid (A: 0-1, H: 2-0)
European Cup best: Winners (2012)
Olivier Giroud's goal had given the Blues a slender 1-0 lead to protect at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night before a 2-0 victory sent them through. New boss Thomas Tuchel has found a winning formula both at home and in Europe, with Chelsea now very much in the mix for a top-four Premier League finish again. Unbeaten through 14 games in all competitions, the Blues look set for another strong finish to the campaign.
Past winners of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
2016 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2015 Nico Rosberg (Mercedes-GP)
2014 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2013 Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
2012 Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus)
2011 Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2010 Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
2009 Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
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v Panama, Group Stage (Kane)
v Colombia, Last 16 (Kane)
Four Corners
v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via John Stones header, from Ashley Young corner)
v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via Harry Maguire header, from Kieran Trippier corner)
v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, header, from Trippier corner)
v Sweden, Quarter-Final (Maguire, header, from Young corner)
One Free-Kick
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Aghadan Alqak (Would I Ever Find You Again)?
Would I ever find you again
You, the heaven of my love, my yearning and madness;
You, the kiss to my soul, my cheer and
sadness?
Would your lights ever break the night of my eyes again?
Would I ever find you again?
This world is volume and you're the notion,
This world is night and you're the lifetime,
This world is eyes and you're the vision,
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Have mercy on the heart that belongs to you.
Lyrics: Al Hadi Adam; Composer: Mohammed Abdel Wahab
Empty Words
By Mario Levrero
(Coffee House Press)
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
INVESTMENT PLEDGES
Cartlow: $13.4m
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Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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