Falling short of peak drama, Friday's Champions league draw sent Real Madrid to play Manchester City and paired Atletico Madrid with Bayern Munich in the semifinals.
A Madrid derby combined with a match between Pep Guardiola's current and future teams was avoided, but either scenario can still happen in the final on May 28 in Milan.
Madrid's streak of reaching at least the semifinals for six straight years started after it fired Manuel Pellegrini in 2010. Pellegrini is now coaching City but will leave in the offseason to make way for Pep Guardiola.
The clubs met in the group stage three seasons ago with Madrid winning 3-2 at home and drawing 1-1 in Manchester as City exited without winning a match.
"Madrid is always the favorite, it will always be like that," Zidane said. "But that doesn't matter to us."
Friday's draw extended Madrid's run this season of not having to face a former winner of Europe's top club competition.
Bayern was paired with Atletico Madrid in a rematch of the 1974 final. Then, the German club won 4-0 in a replay to take the first of its five European titles.
The first leg is in Madrid on April 27 and the return is in Munich on May 3.
Atletico is a two-time runner-up after giving up last-minute equalizing goals both times, including against Real Madrid in 2014.