A rematch of two recent Champions League finals leads a selection of tantalising matchups from the UCL Round of 16 draw.
There were three English group winners waiting to hear their opponent for the first knockout round, with Liverpool the sole Premier League side that finished second. Meanwhile, Germany boasted four entries into the Round of 16 draw, with Serie A having three. Portugal had two teams, while France, Belgium, and Spain had just one each.
And it was Spanish side Real Madrid who received one of the most exciting matchups in the knockout stage. The reigning champs will play Liverpool – the team which they defeated 1-0 in last season’s Champions League final.
Similarly, PSG may have revenge on their minds with the draw that UEFA dealt them this year. Kylian Mbappe and company will face off against Bayern Munich in pursuit of the Ligue 1 side’s first-ever title.
Bayern previously defeated PSG 1-0 in the 2020 UCL final – but PSG beat Bayern in the 2020/21 quarterfinals. So, a best-of-three scenario is on between these two European heavyweights.
Premier League ties
Elsewhere, both Man City and Chelsea have trips to Germany themselves come February. Pep Guardiola’s side will play RB Leipzig, a team that they faced in last season’s group stage. Chelsea, in contrast, take on Borussia Dortmund.
Unlike their Premier League counterparts, Spurs will travel to Italy in their Round of 16 tie. Antonio Conte faces a return to the San Siro – but not to play his former club Inter. Instead, Tottenham will seek to reach the quarterfinals by beating reigning Serie A champions AC Milan.
These two sides have played each other in the round of 16 before, too. Eleven years ago, Spurs narrowly eliminated Milan 1-0 over two legs, with Peter Crouch grabbing the only goal.
The rest of the draw
High-flying Napoli will look to continue their momentum in Europe with their tie against Eintracht Frankfurt. The current Europa League holders may prove a tough test away from home, though, thanks to their passionate fanbase.
Additionally, the two group-winning Portuguese sides may fancy their chances of both reaching the last eight of the competition. Benfica, fresh from pipping PSG to top spot in Group H, will play Club Brugge. The Belgians will make their UCL knockout stage debut in this fixture.
Porto, meanwhile, face a tough but not impossible challenge in the form of Inter Milan. The Italian giants have had a difficult start to 2022/23, currently sitting seventh in Serie A.
The draw has promised some incredibly entertaining fixtures to look forward to later this season. Unfortunately, though, there will definitely be a long wait; the Round of 16 ties are scheduled for February 2023 (official dates TBC).
Round of 16 draw in full
The team written on the left-side of the fixture list is a second-placed group finisher. Because of this, they are the home team for the first leg of the Round of 16 games.
RB Leipzig v Man City
Club Brugge v SL Benfica
Liverpool v Real Madrid
AC Milan v Spurs
Eintracht Frankfurt v Napoli
Borussia Dortmund v Chelsea
Inter Milan v FC Porto
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Featured image credit: Getty