there will be a meeting PSG-Real Madrid or a big arm wrestling Liverpool-Bayern Munich? The teams that have finished as leaders in their Champions League group will try to avoid the French and English, the two “cuckoos” of the round of 16 draw, which will be played this Monday from 8:00 (Argentine time) in Nyon ( Swiss). . Televisa ESPN.
Who will have to stop the Messi-Neymar-Mbappé trio or the talent of Mohamed Salah? The top seeds of the tournament will be the teams that finished first in the recent group stage, while in cup 2 there will be the eight teams that were second, so PSG and Liverpool could be lined up with some other continental giants.
Monday’s draw has restrictions: two teams that have coincided in their group of this Champions League, nor two teams from the same nation cannot meet in the round of 16.
This is why Liverpool will not play with Napoli, nor against the other three English teams (Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham). can be matched Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Porto or Benfica.
It is not a good start to the season for Liverpool, which in addition to second place in the group are far from the top places in the Premier League.
However, the round of 16 will be played in February and March, at which point Jürgen Klopp’s star team may have finally found the pace of their game.
Chance will determine the degree of difficulty for the great Europeans.
Real Madrid, defending champions, will be the only Spanish club to win the Champions League round of 16. Barcelona and Sevilla were third in their groups and will continue to play Europa LeagueMeanwhile him Atletico Madrid He was at the bottom of his key and was left without a European presence.
Carlo Ancelotti’s team cannot be paired in the draw with the German Leipzig, second in their group, but the other options remain open.
The prospect of having to play against Liverpool, PSG or Milan is very different from playing against other theoretically more accessible opponents such as Club Brugge or Eintracht Frankfurt.
Last year, Real Madrid fought hard in the round of 16 against Paris Saint Germain and both teams were able to meet again.
The team of Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé lost the leadership of their group at the last moment of the last day.
Despite beating Juventus 2-1 in Turin, PSG conceded Benfica’s agonizing goal by beating Maccabi Haifa 6-1. Those from Portugal, with Enzo Fernandez as a flag in midfield and as captain of Nicola Otamendiovercame the Parisians, with whom they were equal in everything, for a greater number of goals scored by visitors, the seventh playoff.
If Real Madrid are the only Spanish team in the round of 16, PSG is the only French team.
Manchester City, another favorite, will be looking to make this year the right one for their aspirations.
With his Norwegian prodigy Erling Haaland and the freshness of Julián Álvarez, he looks even more armed than last season and the Champions League is his big obsession.
For many Copon 2 teams, Porto and Benfica appear to be the least ranked ‘seeded’, but the two Portuguese historians have had an excellent group stage and do not encourage overconfidence.
Champions League round of 16 draw:
Copon 1 (group winners): Naples (ITA), Porto (POR), Bayern Munich (GER), Tottenham (ENG), Chelsea (ENG), Real Madrid (ESP), Manchester City (ENG), Benfica (POR) .
Copon 2 (second group): Liverpool (ENG), Bruges (BEL), Inter (ITA), Eintracht Frankfurt (GER), AC Milan (ITA), RB Leipzig (GER), Borussia Dortmund (GER), Paris Saint Germain ( BETWEEN).
Draw for the ‘playoffs’ for access to the round of 16 of the Europa League:
Copon 1 (runner-up in the groups of the Europa League, the first in the groups went directly to the round of 16 and should not play this ‘playoff’): Manchester United (ENG), Midtjylland (DEN), Monaco (FRA), Nantes (FRA), PSV Eindhoven (NED), Rennes (FRA), Rome (ITA), Union Berlin (GER).
Copon 2 (third place in the Champions League groups): Ajax (NED), Barcelona (ESP), Juventus (ITA), Bayer Leverkusen (GER), Salzburg (AUT), Sevilla (ESP), Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR), Sporting Lisboa (POR).
Source: Clarin
