Liverpool face a return to Real Madrid in a replay of last season's final [File: Dylan Martinez/Reuters]
A blockbuster draw on Monday set the stage for some thrilling matchups in the last 16 of the Champions League.
The Champions League Round of 16 draw in brief:
- Real Madrid v Liverpool
- Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
- Benfica v Club Brugge
- AC Milan v Tottenham Hotspur
- Manchester City v Leipzig
- Chelsea v Borussia Dortmund
- Napoli v Eintracht Frankfurt
- Inter Milan v Porto
Real Madrid are to host Liverpool in the round of 16 of the Champions League in a rematch of last season’s final.
Madrid beat Liverpool in both the 2018 and 2022 finals and the two giants will meet again in February after being paired up in Monday’s draw – which also pitted Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) against Bayern Munich. That’s a rematch of the 2020 final, which the Germans won.
PSG got a blockbuster draw at this stage for the second straight season. The French champions’ quest for a first European title was ended in March by Karim Benzema’s stunning late hat-trick for eventual champions Madrid.
PSG was unseeded in this draw, and left exposed to facing Bayern due to a stoppage-time goal for Benfica in a 6-1 win last week at Maccabi Haifa – meaning the Portuguese club topped their group.
Benfica was rewarded on Monday with a tie against Club Brugge, the 15th-ranked team in the 16-team draw.
The lowest-ranked side, AC Milan, will be at home against Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg in its return to the Champions League knockout rounds after a nine-year gap.
Manchester City was paired with Leipzig, and Chelsea was drawn to face Borussia Dortmund in Premier League vs Bundesliga clashes.
Napoli, the top-scoring team in the group stage, will play Eintracht Frankfurt, and Inter Milan is at home first against Porto.
Teams from the same country or who played each other in the group stage could not be paired together in the round of 16.
First-leg games will be played between February 14 and 22. Return games will be between March 7 and 15.
It’s a long wait before the next round, due to the World Cup in Qatar being played in November and December and other leagues being suspended as a result.
The congested season meant the six-round group stage started earlier than usual in September and was completed in just nine weeks.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
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