And then there were eight. On Wednesday night, Atletico Madrid and Monaco safely negotiated the second legs of their respective last-16 ties, meaning we now know the identity of every quarter-finalist for the 2016-17 Champions League.
Atletico's defeat of Bayer Leverkusen means that three Liga teams make up the last eight, with reigning champions Real and 2015 winners Barcelona having already made it safely through.
It could have been a perfect four for Spain but Leicester City stunned Sevilla on Tuesday night, 24 hours before Monaco upset Manchester City at the Stade Louis II to maintain France's interest in Europe's premier cup competition.
Of course, Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich racked up the biggest aggregate win in the last 16, routing Arsenal 10-2 over two one-sided legs, but Borussia Dortmund also impressed in their 4-1 victory over Benfica at Signal Iduna Park last week.
The final team in the pot for Friday's draw cannot be discounted, though, with Porto's conquerors Juventus having made the final in Berlin two years ago.
All things considered, we look set for four fantastic fixtures and it is worth remembering that the change in rules for the last eight means that teams from the same country can now be paired with one another. That means we could also be treated to a Clasico quarter-final!
However, would either Real or Barca really want that? Indeed, below we've decided to ask our correspondents who their respective clubs would like to avoid in the draw for the last eight...
ATLETICO MADRID
Atletico are in the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the fourth season in a row under Diego Simeone and if there is one team they will want to avoid, it is city rivals Real Madrid.
The Rojiblancos have lost to Madrid in the final twice in the past three seasons and also went out at the hands of Los Blancos in the quarter-finals in 2014-15. So while they have beaten Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Chelsea in recent seasons, their hoodoo versus Real means they will want anyone but Zinedine Zidane’s men in the last eight this time.
Ben Hayward, La Liga correspondent
BARCELONA
After making the impossible possible with last week's stunning comeback against Paris Saint-Germain, the message coming out of Camp Nou is loud and clear: Barca fear nobody. Some fans are even hoping that they draw Real, though most supporters are convinced that their great rivals will be paired with the weakest team left in the competition, Leicester.
Indeed, the Blaugrana are most wary of Bayern, given that Carlo Ancelotti has something that Luis Enrique does not: a quality bench!
Ignasi Oliva, Barcelona Correspondent
BAYERN MUNICH
After a 10-2 demolition of Arsenal in the last 16, the Bavarians are ready for all-comers. They have taken their time to adapt to new coach Carlo Ancelotti but now appear to be firing on all cylinders, Robert Lewandowski in particular.
However, while Bayern are ebullient at the moment, they would not be in the least bit enthusiastic about another encounter with Atletico. They were eliminated by the Rojiblancos at the semi-final stage last season, lost to them at the Vicente Calderon this term and would not relish another meeting with a side that Ancelotti struggled to get the better of even during his time in charge of Real!
Niklas Koenig, Bayern Munich Correspondent
BORUSSIA DORTMUND
Believe it or not, a lot of BVB players would love to face Barca, just to have the opportunity to play at Camp Nou. However, what Thomas Tuchel's men do not want is a tie against Bayern. Drawing the Bavarians would mean facing their Bundesliga rivals four times in the same month - and three times at the Allianz Arena.
Familiarity breeds contempt but it has also created a sense of fear at Signal Iduna Park, where the prevailing opinion is that Bayern are the strongest team left in the tournament.
Stefan Doering, Borussia Dortmund Correspondent
JUVENTUS
Gianluigi Buffon has already claimed that the Bianconeri want to avoid Leicester City in the last eight, arguing that "We'd have everything to lose against them!" In truth, though, Juve would jump at the chance to play the Premier League champions.
Massimiliano Allegri's men are in a pretty confident frame of mind at the moment, though, and would even relish facing Real or Barca, given they have a better defence than both. The Old Lady would be far less excited about the prospect of facing a balanced side like Bayern, particularly as coach Ancelotti knows the Italian game inside out.
Romeo Agresti, Juventus Correspondent
LEICESTER CITY
Having missed out on the opportunity to play any particularly big names in the tournament so far, Leicester supporters and players are craving the chance to test themselves against one of Europe’s top teams.
Of the eight sides left in the draw, Atletico Madrid probably represent the least glamorous opponent and, with Diego Simeone’s side possessing a similar counterattacking style to that of the Foxes, they would likely give Craig Shakespeare the biggest headache from a tactical perspective, too.
Tom Maston, Leicester City Correspondent
MONACO
While Leonardo Jardim says that English clubs suit his young, exciting side, Leicester, strangely, might be the team that Monaco would best avoid. While there might be a tendency to underestimate the Ligue 1 leaders from the other teams left in the competition, the English champions are the only outfit with an even smaller reputation.
Moreover, the Foxes' ability to hit teams on the counterattack would worry the Monegasques, whose preference is to flood players forward into the attack, including both full-backs. This Monaco side is talented, but in such elite company it is perhaps best as an underestimated underdog.
Robin Bairner, Ligue 1 Correspondent
REAL MADRID
The reigning champions won't admit it in public, of course, but the feeling at the Santiago Bernabeu is that they would rather avoid the two other Liga teams in the draw, Atletico and Barcelona.
Of the two, Atletico would be preferable, firstly because they have a lot of happy memories of their European encounters with their city rivals, but also the fact Clasicos are always more draining, physically and mentally, and could even impact Real's hopes of a first Liga title since 2012. Furthermore, losing to Barca would be far more painful than being eliminated by anyone else!
Alberto Pinero, Real Madrid Correspondent