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The stage is set for the draw of the Champions League round of 16. Liverpool and Tottenham managed to qualify against the odds on matchday 6 against Napoli and Barcelona respectively and Lyon were the last team to qualify for the next round.
The draw is to be made on Monday for the next round of the Champions League, 16 teams have qualified and many of the previous Champions League winners are present in the draw. Champions League favourites Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSG, Manchester City and Juventus all qualified as winners of their respective groups.
This year the round of 16 games can give us some phenomenal ties with so many European heavyweights involved. Let's talk about some potential fixtures that might spice up the tournament this early and will be a treat for every football fan on the planet with some potential classics that will be remembered for years.
#1 Liverpool vs Real Madrid
There is a potential Champions League 2018 final rematch in the making in this year's round of 16 Champions League. If we ask Liverpool fans, the majority of them also want this matchup. It's their chance of getting the revenge and dumping the defending champions out of this season's Champions League.
Real Madrid have already been beaten twice this season in the Champions League group stage and this Madrid side looks different without Ronaldo and Zidane, definitely not as strong as the team of last season.
Liverpool have also lost all three of their Champions League group stage away games this season but are unbeaten at Anfield. But Real Madrid was also the last European team to win at Anfield in 2014 and since then the Reds have gone 19 games unbeaten in Europe at Anfield.
But Liverpool will still relish their chances against this Real Madrid side which has been inconsistent at best. With Liverpool's new solid defence and Alisson between the sticks, there's more confidence than Karius who was at the centre of all that happened in Kyiv. Moreover, many people believed if Salah had not gone out injured in that final, the result may have been different.
#2 Manchester City vs Atletico Madrid
Pep Guardiola's Manchester City are one of the best attacking units in the world and on the other hand, Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid are one of the strongest defensive team in the world. Both these teams consist of some of the best players you can find on the planet. Watching Aguero and co line up against Atletico's defence will be a battle of champions.
There are not many teams out there that can cause Atletico's defence any sort of trouble but Dortmund's exciting attack-minded team managed to do that in the group games this season. Manchester City endured two tough games against Lyon probably the only team that have given them troubles this season. Lyon were full of direct running and counter-attacks against their rich opponents.
It will be interesting to see when one of the best attacks and one of the best defences meet, who comes out on top. So this tie will be a mouthwatering clash and will be a real test for both managers. Simeone vs Guardiola will be something not to miss and if this potential game draws up, it will be a treat for football fans and maybe something that we will remember for a long time.
#3 Tottenham vs Borussia Dortmund
What happens when two exciting young attacking teams face each other? I guess that's what we all want to know and will get if these two clubs draw each other on Monday. Tottenham managed to qualify for the next rounds against the odds by managing to get a draw against Barcelona at Camp Nou on matchday six. Dortmund, on the other hand, were assured of qualification going into the last game day and by beating Club Brugge managed to top their group ahead of Atletico Madrid.
Under new leadership Dortmund is flying high, top of Bundesliga and then managed to win their Champions League group, they could not have asked for a better start to their season. Dortmund vs Tottenham can serve as the most open attacking game in recent years and the attacking talent available to both teams makes this game one to watch out for. All we hope is this draw is made and we can witness this great encounter. If nothing else we can be sure of goals galore if these two meet.
#4 Bayern Munich vs Manchester United
Two giants of the game or should we say two struggling giants of the game. Kovac's start to his reign at Bayern have been mixed with fans being divided about his ability to manage a club of Bayern's stature but he still has the backing of the board. Bayern finds themselves third on the Bundesliga table 9 points behind Dortmund but they did manage to top their Champions League, as expected from a team of their calibre.
Manchester United is having a much worse start to their season than Munich. Mourinho's men lie sixth on the Premier League table and find themselves 19 points behind leaders Liverpool but their win against Juventus in Turin shows Mourinho still has some tricks up his sleeves for a big European encounter.
It'll be interesting to witness a game between two giants who are going through a tough season and might be the right match for each other. This encounter can be decided by fine margins and this might not be the most exciting match to watch but tactically it will be a delight for football fans.
#5 Porto vs Ajax
FC Porto managed to top their group but still, there won't be many favouring them to go past one of the European giants. Similarly, Ajax were brilliant in their Champions League group and almost managed to top their group ahead of a giant like Bayern Munich. With all due respect, none of them is expected to go past the round of 16 in the Champions League if they draw one of the European giants.
But Porto and Ajax themselves have basked in European glory in the past. Maybe not a European giant anymore but both Ajax and Porto are giants of the Netherlands and Portugal respectively, they also happen to be the sole representatives of their nations in the round of 16. Drawing each other will make this tie interesting to watch and will be a more balanced tie than Manchester City vs Ajax or Liverpool vs Porto for instance.
Do comment below which fixtures among these you wish to see happen in the round of 16 in the Champions League.
