The draw for the final 16 of the Champions League was made in UEFA’s Nyon headquarters this morning and Europe’s huge weapons can have largely appreciated the result.
England’s two remaining representatives, Arsenal and Manchester Metropolis, have been handed variety attracts in Porto and Copenhagen, whereas Actual Madrid have been paired with RB Leipzig.
Of the extra established huge weapons, Barcelona face arguably the hardest activity, having been paired with final season’s Italian champions Napoli.
Right here, our consultants forged their eye over the draw and what might occur subsequent.
Which sport are you most enthusiastic about?
Oliver Kay: Napoli vs Barcelona. Each golf equipment are experiencing hangovers from final season’s title success, however what higher than a tie like that to get them going? By way of particular person expertise, tactical intrigue and the environment anticipated in Naples specifically, this tie stands out. Second alternative: Paris Saint-Germain vs Actual Sociedad.
James Horncastle: Maurizio Sarri will likely be disillusioned. The Lazio supervisor wished the possibility to teach on the Camp Nou. However, Lazio vs Bayern Munich sees him face Thomas Tuchel, pitting a few cantankerous ex-Chelsea coaches towards one another within the ‘Miroslav Klose-ico’. Inter Milan vs Atletico Madrid can also be Simone Inzaghi vs ex-Interista Diego Simeone and appears delicately poised, significantly as a result of final yr’s finalists face one of many higher vintages of Simeone’s Atleti.
Laia Cervello Herrero: Barcelona vs Napoli. It might be an fascinating match, particularly given how Xavi’s group are faring. They’re unpredictable and that makes the match extra engaging. It is going to even be the primary time in three years that we’ll see Barca within the knockout stage of the Champions League.
Victor Osimhen and Giacomo Raspadori pose a risk to Barcelona (Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Pictures)
Liam Tharme: PSG vs Actual Sociedad. Two groups that can go toe-to-toe, taking part in out and urgent. Don’t count on this to be a sometimes cagey knockout sport. PSG nearly squeezed by their group — even when Group F was the toughest of the lot — and can want an announcement efficiency. They’ve regarded susceptible when pressed excessive and La Actual will definitely do this.
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor: Peter Bosz towards Borussia Dortmund. Now flying at PSV Eindhoven, Bosz lasted half a season on the Westfalenstadion in 2017 and the way in which his Dortmund aspect fell aside nonetheless impacts how he’s considered. Bosz is a punchline to some and he will likely be thrilled to take his sensible PSV aspect (16 wins from 16 within the Eredivisie) to Germany. Fascinating — and that’s with out even contemplating the questions surrounding Edin Terzic’s future.
Key dates
Spherical of 16: February 13/14/20/21 and March 5/6/12/13
Quarter-finals: April 9/10 and 16/17
Semi-finals: April 30/Might 1 and Might 7/8
Closing (Wembley): June 1
Who will likely be happiest with the draw?
Oliver Kay: Manchester Metropolis. No disrespect to Copenhagen, however that’s the opponent all of the group winners wished. The Danish group have been an actual shock package deal within the group stage, however they’ll discover Metropolis a reasonably more durable proposition than their neighbours.
James Horncastle: Metropolis, as standard. I stay up for Stefan Ortega, Micah Hamilton, Oscar Bobb and Mahamadou Susoho serving to the treble winners attain the quarter-finals. Serie A leads this season’s UEFA co-efficient sweepstakes and, alongside Ligue 1, nonetheless has a full contingent of groups throughout UEFA’s three competitions. The attracts look powerful for Italy’s representatives however within the Champions League, Barcelona should not what they was once and Inter bought the ‘proper’ group from Madrid, too.
Laia Cervello Herrero: Metropolis, definitely. They’ve been drawn with the lowest-ranked opponents and so they nonetheless have the tag of reigning Champions League winners. They will already see themselves within the quarter-finals.
Liam Tharme: Presumably Metropolis, even when they did attract Copenhagen within the group phases final season. They’ve missed the large hitters and get the bonus of an opportunity to remove the group that went by instead of their metropolis rivals — not that they wanted to justify which of the Manchester groups is faring higher.
Manchester Metropolis have been held in Copenhagen final yr (Dan Mullan/Getty Pictures)
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor: Bayern Munich. Tuchel will most likely have two or three new gamers to weave into his first group on the finish of the switch window and this tie, towards Sarri’s underwhelming Lazio, ought to supply an opportunity to develop into the latter phases of the event. Bayern’s worst-case state of affairs would have been a fast-paced, vertical opponent, and Lazio definitely aren’t that.
Which ‘big’ might be in essentially the most bother?
Oliver Kay: Barcelona, though I’d nonetheless put them as slight favourites to beat Napoli. It’s a humorous season. Not one of the heavyweights are performing significantly effectively, so it’s attainable to think about any considered one of Barcelona, Bayern or Actual Madrid coming unstuck — plus PSG, whom I’m not going to classify as giants.
James Horncastle: The underwhelming Barcelona. Will Xavi nonetheless be in cost come February? Robert Lewandowski appears a shadow of himself. After all, quite a bit can change in two months. However a Spalletti-less Napoli nonetheless has sufficient talent to win the ‘Maradona derby’.
Laia Cervello Herrero: Actual Sociedad have proven an awesome degree in La Liga and the Champions League and so they have an opportunity towards PSG, who should not having the perfect season.
Liam Tharme: PSG, for all the explanations I discussed above. Luis Enrique was introduced in as a venture coach — which is mirrored of their summer time signings, extra youth and fewer galactico-y — however PSG have gone out within the final 16 up to now two seasons (although to greater European golf equipment, in Bayern Munich and Manchester Metropolis). In the event that they lose to Actual Sociedad, it’s going to most likely be right down to ways.
Luis Enrique is below strain at PSG (Franck Fife/AFP through Getty Pictures)
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor: The draw didn’t create an excessive amount of jeopardy, however it’s most likely Barcelona. Napoli should not what they have been below Spalletti, however Xavi’s Barca have so little life in them — and so few objectives. You may think about them shedding in Naples.
Your predicted quarter-finalists
Oliver Kay: Arsenal, Barcelona, PSG, Atletico, Dortmund, Bayern, Metropolis and Actual Madrid.
James Horncastle: Arsenal, Napoli, Actual Sociedad, Inter, Dortmund, Bayern, Metropolis and Actual Madrid.
Laia Cervello Herrero: Arsenal, Barcelona, PSG, Atletico, Dortmund, Bayern, Manchester Metropolis and Actual Madrid.
Liam Tharme: Arsenal, Napoli, Actual Sociedad, Inter, Dortmund, Bayern, Metropolis and Actual Madrid.
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor: Arsenal, Napoli, PSG, Inter, PSV, Bayern, Metropolis and Actual Madrid.
What could be your dream last from these groups?
Oliver Kay: I’m not going to say an all-English last (too parochial) and I’m not going to say one English membership and never the opposite. From a impartial perspective, when it comes to what the golf equipment stand for, I like the thought of Actual Sociedad vs Borussia Dortmund, however that’s not going to occur, is it?
James Horncastle: Copenhagen towards Actual Sociedad. You requested for a dream last and that is the wildest fever dream. Jokes apart, I want to see an outsider make it to Wembley on the twentieth anniversary of Porto’s victory in Gelsenkirchen.
Laia Cervello Herrero: Barcelona vs Manchester Metropolis. Though it’s unlikely and it will be painful for the Catalans, I want to see a last between Pep Guardiola and Barca.
Liam Tharme: I’d like to see Inter get to the ultimate once more, so wouldn’t be towards a repeat of final season’s last, or maybe towards Arsenal, for one more conflict of kinds.
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor: Metropolis towards Actual Madrid. They convey out the perfect in one another; one thing all the time occurs to make these video games a spectacle. Including Jude Bellingham appears unlikely to make it any much less so, however the broader sub-plots are simply so compelling. The contrasting historic and evolutionary dynamics have actually made this into an absorbing rivalry between an emblem of the sport’s previous and a imaginative and prescient of its future.
Jude Bellingham will likely be concentrating on Champions League glory (Angel Martinez/Getty Pictures)
How will Arsenal view the draw?
Arsenal will really feel barely relaxed by drawing Porto for the spherical of 16, however shouldn’t be lulled right into a false sense of safety.
They’ve missed many of the huge names within the draw, together with PSG, Inter and Napoli, however Porto are doing effectively in Liga Portugal. They’ve an an identical document to Sporting Lisbon, with each golf equipment two factors off league leaders Benfica and a sport in hand towards one another tonight (Monday). Final season, Arsenal drew Sporting within the Europa League spherical of 16, which was seen as a beneficial draw, however the Portuguese aspect superior through a penalty shootout.
Even so, Arsenal have regarded distinctive on this yr’s Champions League and must be sturdy sufficient to progress. They’d the perfect objective distinction (+12) of any group on this yr’s group stage and have regarded extra free-flowing in Europe than the Premier League.
Mikel Arteta has not rotated his aspect as a lot as he did within the Europa League final time period. A constant group, combined with the truth that European defences don’t defend as deep or tightly as English ones, has allowed his attacking gamers to flourish on Champions League nights. These encounters ought to elevate Arsenal’s confidence earlier than they kick on into the enterprise finish of the season.
And there’s an intriguing sub-plot, as effectively: a reunion for Fabio Vieira along with his boyhood membership, the midfielder having signed from Porto in the summertime of 2022.
Artwork de Roche
Fabio Vieira will return to his previous membership Porto (Glynn Kirk/AFP through Getty Pictures)
How will Manchester Metropolis view the draw?
It is going to be an awesome journey to a beautiful metropolis for the followers (albeit a bit expensive) and Metropolis ought to win.
They solely performed one another final season and the sport at Parken was a goalless shocker, however solely after Metropolis had back-up left-back Sergio Gomez despatched off within the first half.
Metropolis have gotten their issues however we now have seen time and time once more, not simply with this membership however many others (usually Actual Madrid), that points in December usually rely for little or no by the point the final 16 rolls round in February.
And even when Metropolis are nonetheless battling foolish errors (which is mainly what’s costing them) there ought to nonetheless be a large enough margin for error given how sturdy they’re in comparison with Copenhagen.
Inter and PSG might have brought on a much bigger headache and, when you can by no means say by no means in soccer, Metropolis will be more than happy with this draw.
Sam Lee
How will Actual Madrid view the draw?
They prevented Kylian Mbappe’s PSG, Inter and Lazio, however Actual Madrid received’t think about Leipzig snug opponents. Removed from it.
Final season, Leipzig beat Madrid 3-2 within the Champions League group stage — a defeat that won’t have been forgotten. And regardless that Leipzig have seen vital gamers transfer on since, together with Josko Gvardiol, Dominik Szoboszlai and Christopher Nkunku, they’re doing effectively this season; third within the Bundesliga behind Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich, snug runners-up behind Manchester Metropolis in Group G.
That’s the reason Carlo Ancelotti’s Actual shouldn’t be overconfident — though, as all the time in European matches, they begin as favourites. Much more so when allowing for that the second leg is on the Santiago Bernabeu, the place the environment all the time helps.
Guillermo Rai
How will Barcelona view the draw?
With Barcelona seven factors behind Actual Madrid in La Liga and with Girona nonetheless to play Alaves this night, the Champions League is a large deal.
Falling quick on home expectations means Xavi has to ship in Europe — and returning some shallowness to a membership that final performed within the knockout phases in 2021 would vastly assist overcome the trauma of latest European failures.
The draw might have been higher, however it might have been method worse — particularly with PSG within the combine.
Barca and Napoli have met twice in knockout ties over the previous 4 years. In February 2022, Xavi helped Barca previous the Italians within the Europa League intermediate stage in his first season in cost. In 2020, Barca beat them over two legs within the Champions League final 16.
This time period, Napoli have struggled to match their dominating type of final season. Barca are struggling below Xavi, too, however this match-up will no less than imply they’ll have sensible hopes of reaching the quarter-finals — which might additionally present an enormous monetary aid.
Pol Ballus
(High photograph: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP through Getty Pictures)
