Knockout football is back in the UEFA Champions League. We get the lowdown on all eight round of 16 matchups after Monday’s draw.
The UEFA Champions League brings us some of the best football we’ll watch all year, especially when we hit the knockout rounds. The added stakes makes every minute consequential, magnifying both gut-wrenching mistakes and glory-filled triumphs.
Now that we’ve made it past the group stage, the draw for the round of 16 has been set and we will anxiously wait until February to take in the next bit of Champions League action. Let’s break down all eight matchups between the final 16 squads.
Manchester City vs. FC København: David vs. Goliath
The defending European champions got the luck of the draw as they will face what is presumed to be the weakest team left in the competition. Manchester City are currently on a 19-game unbeaten streak in the UCL, with their last loss coming in the 2021-22 semifinal against eventual winners Real Madrid. They won all six games in this year’s group stage, albeit not in the most convincing fashion. Defensively, the treble winners seem to be more porous than they were in last year’s impressive campaign. Their biggest strength has become a weakness.
As for the Danish champions, they finished second in their group ahead of English giants Manchester United, but as a reward they got the team they wanted to avoid most. København have already ended one streak this season as they snapped Bayern Munich’s 16-match winning streak in the UCL group stages. The Danish club battled well against Bayern in both matchups, which will give them a slight bit of hope against the reigning UCL winners.
The beautiful thing about football is that anything can happen, and this matchup is the definition of that.
Real Madrid vs. RB Leipzig: The Quest for 15
When the words Champions League are mentioned, the first club that always comes to mind is Real Madrid. The 14-time winners are ready to reclaim their European throne after falling to Manchester City in last year’s semifinals.
Madrid topped their group in dominating fashion, winning all six games, the first time they’ve done so since the 2014-15 campaign. Their newest Galactico Jude Bellingham is chomping at the bit to showcase his talent on the stage Madrid fans care most about. Because anything other than a Champions League trophy is a failure for the season. Thankfully for Madrid, the tie is in February, as they hope to get some players back from injury by then, including the likes of Vinicius Jr. and Eduardo Camavinga.
As for Leipzig, after drawing Manchester City in last year’s UCL round of 16, the luck of the draw was not on their side again. However, Leipzig and Real Madrid met in the group stages last year, and the German side came out on top 3-2 in their home match.
The exciting options in attack in Lois Openda and Xavi Simons might give Leipzig hope in causing a massive upset in the knockouts. Both players offer the X-factor that Leipzig has not had in previous campaigns, excluding Christopher Nkunku.
Real Sociedad vs. Paris Saint Germain: A First-Time Matchup
Sociedad vs. PSG is the most unique matchup in the round of 16, as the two clubs have never faced each other in any competition.
PSG have had a disappointing campaign so far, as they finished second in their group behind Dortmund, which makes it three years running that the Parisian club has finished second in their group. PSG still possess arguably the best player in world football in Kylian Mbappe and a rising star in Warren Zaire-Emery. They possess lots of game changers in the attack alongside Mbappe with Ousmane Dembele, Kolo Muani, and Goncalo Ramos. Their defense, however remains questionable.
Real Sociedad on the other hand had one of the more impressive group stage campaigns, finishing first in their group ahead of last year’s finalists Inter Milan. They were the best defense in the group stages, keeping four clean sheets in six games and the defense will face their toughest task yet in stopping Mbappe and Co.
The coaching battle between the two Spaniards in Luis Enrique and Imanol Alguacil will be interesting, as both teams love to keep possession and play with the ball. Sociedad could be one of the dark horses of the tournament and it all starts with this matchup.
Bayern Munich vs. Lazio: Repeat or Revenge?
Whilst PSG and Sociedad have had no history between each other, the same cannot be told about Bayern and Lazio, who met in the 2020-21 round of 16. It was comfortable for the German giants, and the Italian club will look to get revenge this time around.
Bayern topped their group with 16 points and as usual, are presumed to be one of the favorites for the competition. After not having reached at least the semifinal since winning the tournament in 2020, they are hungry to get back to the top. Harry Kane was brought in to do that and has done his job so far, scoring four goals to go along with three assists in the group stages.
Lazio finished second in their group behind Atletico Madrid. The Italians have struggled to score in the UCL so far, but were defensively solid and will use that as the foundation to try and cause a massive shock in the first stage of the knockouts.
Atletico Madrid vs. Inter Milan: A Tactical Dream and Must-Watch Tie
The most interesting matchup of the UCL round of 16 is Inter Milan vs. Atletico Madrid. The two teams no other club really wanted to face are squaring off themselves. Both managers in this matchup have a similar viewpoint of the game and play comparative styles of football with their three-back formations. It is the first time the two play since meeting in the UEFA Super Cup 13 years ago, which saw Atletico reign supreme.
The tactical chess match between Diego Simeone and Simone Inzaghi is not the only fascinating matchup in this tie. You also have the battle of two of the most in-form players in Europe with Antoine Griezmann and Lautaro Martinez. Both have been the main talisman for their respective clubs in the 2023 calendar year and look to follow it in 2024. The target men battle of Marcus Thuram and Alvaro Morata is interesting as well. Who will be the better Robin to their strike partner’s Batman?
Bastoni vs. Hermoso is another compelling matchup as both center backs are so crucial to how both teams build play out of the back. It’s the must-watch tie of the Round of 16.
Borussia Dortmund vs. PSV Eindhoven: The Battle of the Ultras
No match might have better crowds over two legs than Dortmund and PSV. The two clubs have very passionate fanbases and it will make for an entertaining battle across both matches. Dortmund, known for the famous yellow wall at Signal Iduna Park, will be formidable in the second leg, but PSV ultras are no jokes themselves. They will make Eindhoven a tough place to visit in the opening matchup.
Dortmund were the surprise winners of their group, and led by the never aging Mats Hummels, the club’s defense led it to victory — an unlikely turn of events. BVB are known for their attacking firepower, but there seems to be a switch, one that could benefit them and lead to a further run in Europe.
PSV finished second in their group behind Arsenal but are steamrolling in the Eredivisie, winning all 16 games so far. They are one of the youngest teams left in the competition and have an exciting player in Johan Bakayoko who will hope to provide quality in this tie. However, it might be the veteran Luuk De Jong who will have the biggest say of all.
Arsenal vs. Porto: Will History Repeat Itself?
For the first time in seven years, Arsenal will be playing knockout football in the Champions League. Their last memories were the devastating Bayern defeats where they were outclassed on all levels in 2017, losing by a 10-2 aggregate score. However, this is a different Arsenal, and Bayern Munich is not their opponent this time around. It is the ever-dangerous FC Porto.
History has a funny way of repeating itself in football. These two clubs faced each other in the 2009-10 season in the same round as this upcoming fixture. Arsenal won that tie quite comfortably 6-2 on aggregate. That was the last time Arsenal advanced past the UCL round of 16. Fourteen years later here we are again. Arsenal are the favorites in this tie, but Porto will pose a formidable challenge. They play the style of football that can pose a threat to Arsenal as Sergio Conceicao’s men make it a challenge to get past them.
Arsenal have quite a young team with the likes of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and William Saliba. They will be looking to prove themselves and show why Arsenal should be considered amongst Europe’s elites.
Barcelona vs. Napoli: The Best Kit Matchup
The reigning Spanish and Italian champions will face off in the round of 16 — a rare matchup so early on in the knockout rounds.
Before we discuss the footballing storylines, this tie has a huge stylistic advantage over the rest. The kit display in this matchup will be incredible. Napoli have a trio of memorable shirts this season, and as is custom they’ve employed special edition European shirts to wear in the Champions League.
Barcelona also brought their A-game this year when it comes to kits. The traditional blaugrana stripes on the home shirt is a classic look that also pays tribute to their dominant women’s team. However, it’s the away white kit that steals the show. The first white shirt worn by the club since 1979, it serves as an homage to one of the biggest innovators of modern-day Barcelona, Johan Cruyff.
As for football, this is the matchup which has the most X-factor players on both sides. Stars are the difference makers in these matches. Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia have incredible quality in attack, and Barcelona has struggled to stop that kind of talent in recent years in Europe.
But as always, Barcelona will bring their own stars to the table as well. Lewandowski, Gundogan, and De Jong — among the best in the world at their respective positions — will surely make a difference in this matchup.
Both clubs are struggling in their respective leagues this season, and the UCL might be their only salvation left.
