The UEFA Champions League draw for the Round of 16 took place today. And judging by the fixtures which emerged after this, we are about to see several very interesting battles at this stage.
Man City vs. Real Madrid – Guardiola’s Road to Hell
Pep Guardiola fought many battles at Santiago Bernabeu, and most of the time, Barcelona and he came out as winners. Los Blancos’ fans do not want to remember that period of their history very often, because Blaugrana with Xavi and the rest of the guys dominated the entire world, not just Spain. This time, he will come back to Bernabeu once again, only with Manchester City, in the derby of the Round of 16.
Meanwhile, across town, the other club from Madrid, Atletico, will have to meet the defending champions of this competition, Liverpool. According to many, this is the toughest possible opponent for the Reds, who are not used to playing against the teams with slow pace and defense, which decreases the space for the maneuver in the midfield.
The matchup which promises a lot of goals is the one between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint Germain. Both sides play wonderfull football and have an attacking-minded approach, which thrills the audience. No doubt that the Saints are the favorites, but we all know that Borussia’s youth might go berserk and deliver a superb performance. Also, no matter how dominant they play in the group stage, the French champions always choke in the limitations.
Bayern vs. Chelsea vol. 2
We all remember how Chelsea spoiled Bayern’s home party once they defeated the Germans in the UCL finals back in 2012. Back then, everything was prepared for the big celebration, with the finals taking place in Munich, but it appears that nobody counted on Chelsea’s will and stubbornness. The only UCL title Blues have, was earned that day, and no doubt, many of the fans from London are eager to go back to the place of their most significant success.
Barcelona and Lionel Messia are meeting Napoli. Hours after the Italian side secured the place in the knockout stage of the UCL, their management decided to fire Carlo Ancelotti. For a long time, the chemistry between the players and the experienced manager didn’t exist, which forced Aurelio de Laurentiis, Napoli’s owner, to release Ancelotti. Meanwhile, Ernesto Valverde’s faith depends largely upon this matchup, and his future results in this competition. Barca’s fans are frustrated with the recent performances, and the pressure on Blaugrana’s manager starts to increase daily.
The last year’s runners up, Tottenham Hotspur will play against RB Leipzig, and this clash too could bring many goals. The mood in public is that the Spurs are now capable of making anything notable in the knockout-stage, but many forget that Jose Mourinho knows how to win this competition, especially when he doesn’t have the pressure.
In the last two pairs, Juventus will take on the French side, Lyon, while another Italian representative, Atalanta, plays against Valencia.
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