Champions League last-16 draw: Manchester City face Real Madrid, Chelsea get PSG
The draw for the last 16 of the Champions League has thrown up some intriguing heavyweight clashes, including Manchester City meeting Real Madrid
The draw for the Champions League last 16 has produced some intriguing, heavyweight clashes featuring the renewal of old rivalries. If Manchester City’s meeting with Real Madrid arguably ranks foremost among them, Chelsea’s engagement with the holders, Paris Saint-Germain, and Newcastle’s duel with Barcelona are certainly not lacking in glamour.
Or, in the case of Chelsea and PSG in particular, edge. The tie is a repeat of last summer’s Club World Cup final in New Jersey, which Chelsea won 3-0 thanks to two goals from Cole Palmer and with a team still under the management of Enzo Maresca.
“I’m so excited,” said Liam Rosenior, Maresca’s successor. “PSG are fantastic. I’ve experience of playing them in France [as Strasbourg manager] and I’ve always admired them. Luis Enrique has done a fantastic job there. These are the games you live for, games that you come into football for. It’s going to be a great tie”. In Rosenior’s three fixtures against PSG at Strasbourg he won one, drew one and lost one.
Liverpool, meanwhile, will return to Istanbul as part of a tricky rematch with Galatasaray. Arne Slot’s side lost 1-0 in Turkey during an autumnal league-phase meeting. Arsenal, though, have been handed a somewhat kind draw in Bayer Leverkusen as they continue to compete on four fronts “We’re really excited,” said Mikel Arteta. “Let’s try to be there until the last stage of every competition. And then we’ll see what happens.”
A Tottenham team likely to be prioritising Premier League survival will meet Atlético Madrid, meaning a swift reunion for Conor Gallagher, who joined Spurs from the Spanish club in January. With all 16 teams provided with a route map to the semi finals, Atlético’s Diego Simeone and Tottenham’s Igor Tudor also know their sides are playing for a quarter-final date against either Barcelona or Newcastle. Should Spurs keep prevailing, a north London semi-final against Arsenal may yet beckon.
If Arsenal overcome Bayer Leverkusen, they will meet the winner of Bodø Glimt versus Sporting Lisbon in the last eight while Liverpool could face Chelsea, which would no doubt reignite memories of their Champions League battles from previous decades.
Should Manchester City make it past Madrid in what will be a fifth Champions League knockout meeting in five years, Pep Guardiola could be set for a potential reunion with Bayern Munich on the basis they overcome Atalanta, Italy’s remain representative in the competition, in the last 16.
Newcastle’s meeting with Barcelona will reprise evocative memories of Sir Bobby Robson, who managed both clubs, as well as Faustino Asprilla’s treble at St James’ Park during a 3-2 Champions League win over the Spanish giants in 1997. The two sides also met at St James’ Park in September, with Hansi Flick’s side winning the league-phase encounter 2-1 thanks to two goals from Marcus Rashford.
Meanwhile in the Europa League, Nottingham Forest have been drawn against Midtjylland with the Danes doubtless bolstered by memories of their 3-2 win at the City Ground in the league phase. With Aston Villa, who face Lille, in the same side of the draw as Forest, there is no prospect of an all English final, although they could clash in the semi finals.
Villa and Lille crossed swords in a Conference League quarter-final two years ago, with Villa prevailing follow a rather chaotic penalty shootout featuring some theatrics from goalkeeper Emi Martínez.
Crystal Palace will face AEK Larnaca of Cyprus in the last 16 of the Conference League.