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On Monday afternoon, the UEFA Champions League held its Round of 16 draw ceremony in Nyon. As expected, we had some juicy ties, but a clerical error saw the entire draw get nullified. As a result, the teams were drawn again, and the second time, the draw stood.
While some teams are happy with the results of the re-draw, some are left dejected. Today, we will give you our take on the draw and try to figure out the possible winners and losers from the Champions League Round of 16 draw.
Now, without further ado, let’s get this show on the road.
Winners: Chelsea
The current UEFA Champions League holders Chelsea surprisingly got the French champions Lille in both the original Round of 16 draw and the controversial re-draw. The Blues finished disappointingly behind Juventus in Group H and could have faced the likes of Real Madrid or Bayern Munich. Instead, they have become the only group-stage runners-up to head into the Round 16 as favorites.
Last season’s Ligue 1 winners Lille have failed to hit the ground running in the current campaign. They find themselves in 11th position in Ligue 1 and are trailing leaders Paris Saint-Germain by 20 points.
In the UEFA Champions League, however, Lille have performed admirably so far. They topped Group G, winning three of their six matches.
Against Chelsea, Lille can produce moments of brilliance but might run out of juice over the two legs. The Blues’ firepower should help them to a comfortable UEFA Champions League round-of-16 win over the struggling French champions.
Losers: Inter Milan
Current Serie A leaders Inter Milan were beaten comprehensively by Real Madrid in Group D, which saw them finish second in the group. A tough UEFA Champions League draw was always on the cards, but the re-draw made things even more complicated for the reigning Italian champions.
In the original UEFA Champions League Round of 16 draw, Inter Milan were pitted against Ajax. Despite being a complicated draw, it was still finely poised. The re-draw has put them in front of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, who, like Ajax, won all six of their group stage matches.
Liverpool have been in excellent form lately, winning eight of their last 10 matches across all competitions. Their talisman Mohamed Salah is in red-hot form and looks capable of scoring against any team in his sleep. Liverpool’s midfield has also clicked and their defense looks meaner than ever.
Inter Milan have also been in excellent form, picking up 25 points from their last 10 games. They can make things complicated for the Reds, but doing so over two legs would be an uphill task.
Winners: Bayern Munich
2019-20 UEFA Champions League winners Bayern Munich won all their group stage matches, becoming the second team in history to have achieved the feat twice. They scored 22 goals and conceded only thrice in six games, knocking Barcelona out of the UEFA Champions League in the process.
Bayern Munich will take on RB Salzburg in the Round of 16 and will be the overwhelming favorites to go into the quarter-finals. Salzburg are also capable of playing quality football, but are unlikely to pose a threat to Bayern’s progression.
Losers: PSG and Real Madrid
PSG and Real Madrid are set to face each other in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. The fixture is easily the biggest spectacle of the round and will see one of the two favorites crash out of the competition.
In the original draw, Real Madrid had drawn Benfica, while PSG were pitted against Manchester United. The redraw made it complicated for both teams, as neither would sleep easy thinking about the blockbuster encounters in February and March.
13-time winners Real Madrid are currently the most in-form team in Europe. Carlo Ancelotti’s men have won their last 10 matches in all competitions and went into the Round of 16 draw as Group D winners. PSG were arguably the only team they wanted to avoid, but ran out of luck at the crucial moment.
PSG, on the other hand, finished behind Manchester City in Group A and are chasing their first UEFA Champions League title. With the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Sergio Ramos in the team, they would have been confident against Manchester United.
Against Real Madrid, they will have to measure their steps and make sure they make no mistakes in the tie. Even the tiniest of slip-ups could prove to be fatal against UEFA Champions League royalty.
Winners: Manchester City
Defending Premier League champions Manchester City have been blessed with a rather straightforward Round of 16 draw. Pep Guardiola’s men will face Sporting Lisbon in the UEFA Champions League last-16.
Manchester City topped Group A, leaving Lionel Messi’s PSG in second position. The Citizens bagged four wins in six UEFA Champions League group stage games to reach the summit.
Sporting Lisbon, on the other hand, picked up nine points from six games and finished behind Ajax in Group C. They are no slouches, of course, but they do not have the individual quality to keep City at bay for two legs.
We expect Manchester City to cruise to a straightforward win against the Portuguese outfit in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.
