UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Draw Reveals Thrilling Matchups
Paris, December 18 : Defending champions Manchester City are poised to face Copenhagen in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, while current Premier League leaders Arsenal are set to take on Portuguese side Porto.
Danish champions Copenhagen, topping their group above Manchester United, make their first appearance in the knockout stages since 2011.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, returning to the competition after a hiatus since 2017, aims to overcome past last-16 setbacks experienced under Arsene Wenger’s management, where the Gunners faced seven consecutive exits at this stage.
In a notable pairing, reigning Italian and Spanish champions Napoli and Barcelona will clash for the third time in five seasons. Barcelona emerged victorious with a 4-2 aggregate score in the same stage during the 2019/2020 season and also triumphed in the knockout round play-offs of the Europa League two years ago.
Leipzig, a rising force in the Bundesliga, faces a formidable challenge against Real Madrid, the tournament’s most decorated team, in their quest for a quarterfinal berth. Real Madrid, plagued by injuries, recently added central defender David Alaba to their extensive injury list following a cruciate ligament tear, expecting a six-month sideline.
Bayern Munich, the German champions, seem to have a favorable matchup against Lazio, currently struggling in the bottom half of Serie A.
Dortmund, emerging victorious from a challenging group featuring Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, and Newcastle United, will face PSV Eindhoven. PSV has dominated their first 16 Eredivisie games this season.
Paris Saint-Germain, finishing second in their group, will face Real Sociedad, the unexpected Spanish group winners marking their first last-16 appearance in two decades.
Last season’s finalist, Serie A leaders Inter Milan, faces a compelling battle against Atletico Madrid, highlighting the standout ties in the draw.
The draw adhered to Champions League regulations, pairing group winners with runners-up and ensuring teams from the same member association did not meet at this stage.
