Champions League Round of 16 Matchups Revealed; Milan, Other Champions League Eliminations Set for Europa League Playoffs

In a draw marked by the absence of classics, the Champions League defined this Monday, the 18th, the clashes of the round of 16. Current champion, the Manchester City will face the modest Copenhagenwhile the Real Madridthe biggest winner of the competition, will face the RB Leipzig. They are favorites. They won all six group stage games.

The knockout stages of the biggest club competition in the world will begin in mid-February, starting on the 13th. The round of 16 return games are scheduled for the first two weeks of March. The quarterfinals will be played in April, while the semifinals are scheduled for the end of April and the beginning of May. The final will be on June 1st, in London.

The only teams that had 100% success in the group stage, City and Real were lucky in the draw. The English team will face one of the worst teams among those that advanced in the competition. Copenhagen won just two of the six matches they played. Even though it was far from exciting, it qualified in a group with Bayern Munich and Manchester United, which failed and came in last place in the group.

The draw for the Champions League round of 16 clashes was held this Monday. Photo: SALVATORE DI NOLFI/ EFE

Real Madrid, owned by Brazilians Vinicius Júnior and Rodrygo, can maintain their momentum in the competition against RB Leipzig, which is far from being that surprising team of 2020, when it reached the semi-finals. The team is only third in the German Championship and was unable to repeat its performance from three years ago.

Paris Saint-Germain got some relief in a Champions League draw. Used to struggling in the round of 16, the French team will face the modest Real Sociedad, currently sixth in the Spanish Championship. The clash could pave the way for PSG to shine again in the knockout stages of the European competition, now without Neymar and Messi.

Barcelona and Arsenal also have no reason to complain. The leader of the English Championship will duel with Porto, third placed in the Portuguese league. The Spanish team will face Napoli, who are in a low season after being the Italian champions last year. The Spanish and Italians are used to facing each other in the competition and it was Barcelona that came out on top last time, in 2020, also in the round of 16.

Among the other clashes, Bayern Munich is the clear favorite against Lazio. Borussia Dortmund is the main bet against PSV, but the favoritism is smaller compared to Bayern. And the clash between Inter Milan and Atlético de Madrid could be one of the most balanced in the first knockout stage of the tournament. According to the rules of the draw, teams could not face rivals from the same group, from the previous phase, and opponents from the same country. Clubs that finished first in their brackets will have the advantage of playing the second leg at home.

Check out the Champions League knockout clashes

Porto x Arsenal*Napoli x Barcelona*Paris Saint-Germain x Real Sociedad*Inter Milan x Atlético de Madrid*PSV x Borussia Dortmund*Lazio x Bayern Munich*Copenhagen x Manchester City*RB Leipzig x Real Madrid*

* Play the second game at home

Milan face Rennes in the Europa League after falling out of the Champions League

Eliminated from the Champions League, after being surpassed by Borussia Dortmund and PSG within the “group of death”, Milan will face Rennes, from France, for a place in the round of 16 of the Europa League. The confrontation was defined this Monday, during the draw carried out by UEFA to form the playoff brackets for the second most important club tournament in European football. The duels, played in round-trip rounds, are between teams eliminated from the Champions League and those who came second in the Europa League groups.

The draw was organized in such a way that teams from the same country could not face each other, so Milan could not take on Roma, who finished second in Group G of the Europa League, losing their direct place in the round of 16 to Slavia Prague. The opponent of the Romanians, runners-up in the tournament in the last edition, will be Feyenoord, from the Netherlands, a team they defeated last year to become champions of the Conference League.

Europa League playoffs draw. Photo: Salvatore Di Nolfi/EFE

Benfica, protagonist of a campaign of just four points in the first phase of the Champions League, will challenge Toulouse to continue aiming for European success this season. Sporting, since the beginning of the Europa League dispute and second in its group, will face the Swiss Young Boys. Shakhtar Donetsk, who fought until the end for qualification in the Champions League, but ended up being surpassed by Barcelona and Porto, will face Olympique Marseille. Lens x Freiburg, Braga x Qarabag and Galatsaray x Sparta Prague are the other duels in the first knockout phase.

The teams that finished first in the Europa League groups will only know their opponents for the round of 16 in a draw scheduled for February 23, 2024, after the playoffs, which will be held on the 15th and 22nd of same month. Those already classified for the round of 16, scheduled for March 7th and 14th, are West Ham, Brighton, Rangers, Atalanta, Liverpool, Villarreal, Slavia Prague and Bayer Leverkusen. The final is scheduled for May 22, at the Aviva Stadium, in Dublin.

Check out the Europa League playoff games:

Feyenoord x RomaMilan x RennesLens x FreiburgYoung Boys x SportingBenfica x ToulouseBraga x QarabagGalatasaray x Sparta PragueShakhtar Donetsk x Olympique Marseille
2023-12-18 13:49:19
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