The round of 16 in this season’s Champions League promises to deliver fireworks. And possibly some retribution.
Monday’s draw produced several tantalizing matchups, including a rematch of last season’s final between Liverpool and reigning champions Real Madrid. The Spanish club claimed a 1-0 victory and record-extending 14th European Cup back in May.
Not to be outdone, though, a pair of tournament favorites will clash when Bayern Munich take on Paris Saint-Germain in a repeat of the 2020 showpiece match, which was won by the German club.
PSG were unseeded in the draw after a last-gasp Benfica goal allowed the Portuguese outfit to top Group H last week via a tiebreaker and thus earn a more favorable last-16 opponent.
Here’s how the draw unfolded:
- RB Leipzig vs. Manchester City
- Club Brugge vs. Benfica
- Liverpool vs. Real Madrid
- AC Milan vs. Tottenham
- Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Napoli
- Borussia Dortmund vs. Chelsea
- Inter Milan vs. FC Porto
- PSG vs. Bayern Munich
Clubs from the same domestic league are not eligible to face one another until the quarterfinals.
The last 16 begins in February with first-leg matches and concludes with decisive second-leg fixtures in mid-March. Seeded teams – listed second in the respective matchups above – play away from home in the first-leg games after topping their groups in the opening stage of the competition.
The match schedule for the round of 16 will be revealed at a later date.
This season’s knockout stage will once again be played without the away goals rule, which UEFA abolished in 2021. Any tie that’s level after 180 minutes will go to extra time, and potentially penalties, regardless of how many goals each team scored away from home.
This season’s Champions League final will be held in Istanbul on June 10, 2023.