Not sure that PSG are very happy with the “meatballs” of UEFA. Rather passed between the drops during the first draw – subsequently invalidated – Paris will ultimately not face Manchester United but Real Madrid in the knockout stages of the Champions League. The first leg will take place in mid-February at the Parc des Princes, while the return will be at the Santiago Bernabeu in early March. PSG and Real had already faced each other at this stage of the competition in 2018, for an elimination of the Parisians. They took a form of revenge the following year during the group stage by winning 3-0 at the Parc des Princes.
Lille, heroic in group stages, for their part fell (twice) on the European champion, Chelsea. After a trip to Stamford Bridge in February, they will host them in the second leg. It will be in March in a necessarily incandescent Pierre-Mauroy stadium (if the Covid does not go through there) for this first round of 16 in its history at home. In 2007, due to a non-approved enclosure, Losc had to host Manchester United at the Bollaert stadium in Lens.
Regarding the Europa League, Lyon and Monaco are exempt from the round of 16 because they finished in first place in their group. The same goes for Stade Rennais in the Europa League Conference (C3). OM will face the club from Qarabaq (Azerbaijan) in this new “C4”.
