The champion league is a dream of every player to play in this league and win the league for their clubs. But we know that competition is too high for every player to play for their club and for a club to play in the league. That's why only the top three or four of the leagues in Europe secure qualification for the tournament every season. Some usual clubs come directly into group stages.
There are no chances that big clubs will qualify for round 16, take the example of Barcelona's campaign this season. Barcelona drew with Bayern Munich, Benfica and Dynamo Kyiv in Group E. But they finished third in the group and will now play in the Europa League.
Now, here we have to take a look at the top 5 teams with the most appearances at this in the competition’s history.
#5 Arsenal - 14 appearances in UCL round of 16
It was a surprising name on the list but we have to accept that Arsenal is ahead of Manchester United in terms of the UCL round of 16 appearances. However, they did not qualify for the competition from 2016-to 17. They were eliminated from the round of 16 stages by Bayern Munich 10-2 on aggregate that season. In 2005-2006 they Finished up as runners-up against Barcelona was their best-ever achievement in the competition.
#4 Chelsea - 16 appearances in UCL round of 16
Chelsea is the most successful club in round 16 in the history of the champion league. They are two times the winner of the champion league. But they have failed to make it to the round 16 fixture just twice since the 2003-04 season. They have also won the Europa League twice in the 2012-13 and 2018-19 campaigns.
#3 Barcelona - 19 appearances in UCL round of 16
There is only one time since 2003-04 that Barcelona failed to make it into the round of 16 of UCL. They are one of the best team clubs in the knockout stage of the competitions. They have made it to the final to the competition eight times so far, and they have won five titles and three times as runners. But in the last season, they suffered in the quarter-final by Bayern Munich in the 2019-20 campaign. Last season, PSG eliminated them by handing them a 5-2 defeat on aggregate in the round of 16 fixtures.
Check here Greatest matches in Champions League History
#2 Bayern Munich - 18 appearances in UCL round of 16
Bayern Munich has enjoyed a great run in the Champions League. They have made it into the knockout stage of the competition every season since the 2008-09 season.
They have won the UCL three times in 2000-01, 2012-13 and 2019-20 campaigns while also winning the erstwhile European Cup thrice. They won the UCL in the 2019-20 campaign, beating PSG in the final and completing their treble. However, they were eliminated from the quarter-finals last season by Paris Saint-Germain on away goals (3-3).
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#1 Real Madrid - 19 appearances in the UCL round of 16
Successful club in the entire history of the champion league. They won this title 13 times, the only team in double digits of winning the title. So, it is only natural that they have made it to the round of 16 more times than any other team. They won the league three times continuously from the year 2016 to 2018. They have made it to the knockout stage of the competition every single season since the 1990-91 campaign. But round 16 was introduced in the 2003-04 campaign.
