The knockout rounds of club football’s biggest competition are set to begin in sensational fashion, with the draw for the UEFA Champions League round of 16 throwing up more than a handful of mouth-watering match-ups.
Liverpool and Bayern Munich – both five-time European champions – have been paired together in what is the biggest showdown as far as continental pedigree of past is concerned, but two young and rising units will go up against each other when Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund lock horns, while Juventus have been drawn against Atletico in a clash pitting Cristiano Ronaldo against his former derby rivals from his time at Real Madrid.
Three-time defending champions Real Madrid’s crown will be challenged by Ajax, who finished behind Bayern Munich in Group E after a thrilling 3-3 draw in the final round of group-stage fixtures. Real’s arch-rivals Barcelona will be taking on French outfit Lyon, who surprised by many by taking four points from their two games against Manchester City in Group F.
English champions City did still top their group, as a result of which they have avoided the cream of the European crop and will face Schalke instead in the last-16.
One fixture between two massively-followed clubs, however, will hinge upon an improvement in fortunes for one of the two sides. Manchester United will hope to have improved upon what is until now their worst-ever start to a season when they face off with Paris Saint-Germain, who overcame a slow start to eventually top Group C, the ‘group of death’, ahead of Liverpool and Napoli.
The round of 16 fixtures are still some time away, though, with the premier club competition on a break till February. The first legs will be held in the second and third weeks of February (12-13 and 19-20), with the return fixtures in the first and second weeks of March (5-6 and 12-13).
Group winners get the advantage of playing the second leg of the two-legged knockout tie at home.
UCL Round of 16 Draw in Full
- Schalke vs Manchester City
- Atletico Madrid vs Juventus
- Manchester United vs Paris Saint-Germain
- Tottenham Hotspur vs Borussia Dortmund
- Lyon vs Barcelona
- AS Roma vs Porto
- Ajax vs Real Madrid
- Liverpool vs Bayern Munich
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