The 2022/23 Champions League draw unfolded in Nyon, Switzerland and the results could not have been more mouth-watering. Just like the scintillating group stages witnessed this year, the round of 16 games promises to be at the same level to be played in February 2023 as long as the World Cup does not have a massive toll on the fitness of the players and the momentum of the teams.
For the first time since 2005, there will be only one club from the Spanish top division to make it to the knockout stages of the Champions League and that is the holders Real Madrid. There are also four German clubs participating in the round of 16 including Eintracht Frankfurt making their first-ever appearance in their history at this stage of the competition. Club Brugge are only the second Belgian club to ever grace the Champions League knockouts after Anderlecht whereas AC Milan have qualified for the last 16 stages for the first time since 2014.
RB Leipzig vs Manchester City
RB Leipzig will lock horns with Manchester City for the consecutive seasons in the Champions League but for the first time in the knockout stages. These two fought each other in the group stages last season with City coming on top winning a 6-3 goal fest at the Etihad Stadium in the first-ever meeting with Leipzig in this competition. However, the German side took sweet revenge over the Premier League champions in the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig beating them 2-1 with the opposition also being a man down. Leipzig also beat holders Real Madrid at this ground in the group stages although Guardiola’s men will certainly fancy this tie to move into the quarterfinals. Marco Rose’s team finished below Los Blancos and three points better than third-placed Shakhter Donetsk in their group whereas City won their group ahead of Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla by picking up 14 points from six games and conceding just twice.
Club Brugge vs SL Benfica
First time in the knockout phases in the Champions League, Club Brugge have an interesting encounter against SL Benfica to look forward to in the round of 16. The current leaders in the Portuguese league, Benfica topped the group containing Paris Saint Germain and Juventus only able to separate themselves from the former by scoring the most away goals. They finished on 14 points netting 16 goals. Meanwhile, Brugge seemed destined to end as group winners paired with Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen and two times finalists Atletico Madrid in their fairytale season in Europe only to be defeated by Benfica’s arch-rivals Porto 4-0 in the penultimate group stage game after not conceding a single goal at home and then a 0-0 draw with Leverkusen keeping them at second.
Liverpool vs Real Madrid
Probably the headlining tie of this round of 16 draws, Liverpool will square up against Real Madrid in the repeat of the last season’s Champions League final played in Paris as well as the 2017 final in Kyiv. This is the third consecutive season that this two will face each other with this tie taking place in the quarterfinal stages of the 2020/21 season as well. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has never won against Real Madrid in his time at the club and Carlo Ancelloti’s men have also not lost at Anfield in the last two visits. The Reds were stunned by Napoli in the league’s first game but managed to win the next five including revenge over the Italian side at Anfield in the last group stage game but could not finish higher than them due to goal difference. On the other hand, the holders managed to top their group by outclassing Celtic 5-1 in the last group game having won their first three games but then drawing against Shakhter and losing to Leipzig. Liverpool are among the four Premier League teams remaining in the competition while Real Madrid are the sole Spanish side remaining in the contest after Barcelona and Sevilla plummeted to the Europa League with city rivals Atletico dumped out of European football this season completely.
AC Milan vs Tottenham Hotspurs
Milan are in the round of 16 stages of the Champions League for the first time since 2014 and they will meet Tottenham Hotspurs in the competition since their first meeting also at this stage in the 2010/11 season which the Lilywhites won 1-0 over two legs. Stefano Pioli’s men were beaten 3-0 in both outings against Tottenham’s rivals Chelsea in the group stage but they manage to get past Dinamo Zagreb and RB Salzburg to go through as runners-up in their group. Spurs, though, had to wait until the final group stage game with all the teams in their group having a chance to qualify to understand their faith, sealing qualification with a late dramatic winner from star midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the comeback victory over Marseille. The Rossoneri have lost their previous five encounters with an English side whereas Tottenham have only won once in the last four meetings against a side from Italy.
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Napoli
Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt are amongst the club in the round of 16 stage of the Champions League for the first time with Oliver Glasner’s side handed a difficult tie with Napoli. Luciano Spalleti’s men have been one of the watchable teams in this competition topping their group ahead of last year’s finalists Liverpool and Dutch league champions Ajax scoring the most number of goals in the competition this season with 20 and conceding just six. Frankfurt’s qualification has been more dramatic as they started their Champions League campaign outside of qualification places in the first four games managing to overturn it in the remaining two by defeating Sporting CP in the direct battle for a knockout berth in the last group stage game. The Bundesliga side now have to find ways to resist the Georgian hot talent in Naples, Khvicha Kvaratsheklia.
Borussia Dortmund vs Chelsea
In another interesting matchup, Borussia Dortmund will take on Chelsea over two legs in the round of 16 to book a place in the Quarterfinals. Edin Terzic’s side finished behind another English team in Manchester City in their group, three points above Sevilla and advancing to the knockout stages of the Champions League after failing to do so last season. Chelsea led by Graham Potter had a much easier ride in the last five group stage games ending as group winners ahead of AC Milan having started with a loss and a draw in the first two games. The Blues will be hoping to shake off their current slump in the Premier League to make the most of this tie in February in their first-ever meeting against the Black and Yellows in the Champions League.
Inter vs FC Porto
Inter finished second in the supposed ‘group of death’ alongside Bayern Munich, pipping Barcelona for the last 16 spots by winning at San Siro and then drawing against them at Camp Nou. They lost to the Bundesliga winners but managed to win against underdogs Viktoria Plzen home and away. Whereas, Porto was locked in a difficult group against Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid and the tournament’s surprise package Club Brugge but managed to finish as winners even after losing the first two games in the group stage. The two teams have played each other a total of four times before in the Champions League of which the Nerazzurri won three times and the Dragons won the other one.
Paris Saint-Germain vs Bayern Munich
Another repeat of a Champions League final in this season’s round of 16 stages, this time of the 2020 edition when Paris Saint-Germain met Bayern Munich in Lisbon. That is the furthest PSG have gone about in this competition and will be hoping to reach the final again having won the last tie against the German giants two seasons back. However, Christopher Galtier’s men finished as runners-up in their group behind Benfica albeit on the same points and goal difference when Bayern Munich emerged as group winners sweeping aside sides like Inter and Barcelona winning all of their group games. The Bavarians also reached the round of 16 for the 15th year in a row possessing the joint-best defense in the competition this season. Bayern also edges in the head-to-head record winning five of the eight encounters against PSG although this game in February could swing in anyone’s favor.
