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UEFA Champions League or UCL in short is one of the competitions that every football player dreams of winning or even playing in. Only the top three or top four clubs from each of the leagues in Europe secure qualification for the tournament every season. So, there are some usual suspects making it into the group stage each season.
There's no guarantee that a big club will make it into the round of 16 from the group stage. Just take a look at Barcelona's campaign this season. They were drawn 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.
The round of 16 action is set to return this week in the UCL. Hence, here we take a look at the five teams with the most appearances at this stage of the competition.
#5 Arsenal - 14 appearances in UCL round of 16
A surprising name on our list, but Arsenal are ahead of Manchester United in terms of the UCL round of 16 appearances.
However, the London-based outfit have failed to qualify for the competition since the 2016-17 campaign. They were eliminated from the round of 16 fixtures by Bayern Munich 10-2 on aggregate that season.
Finishing as runners-up in the 2005-06 campaign against Barcelona was their best-ever achievement in the competition.
They are currently in a tight race for the top four spots in the Premier League. They are currently in sixth position, two points off fourth-placed West Ham United, with three games in hand.
#4 Chelsea - 16 appearances in UCL round of 16
Reigning champions Chelsea are the most successful Premier League side in the round of 16 fixtures of the UCL.
The two-time Champions League winners have failed to make it to the round of 16 fixtures just twice since the 2003-04 season. They have also won the Europa League twice, in the 2012-13 and 2018-19 campaigns
They face Ligue 1 side Lille in their round of 16 fixtures this season and should be able to secure a win here. They also rank fourth in aggregate wins in the round of 16 while also facing the fourth-most aggregate losses at this stage of the competition.
#3 Barcelona - 19 appearances in UCL round of 16
Barcelona failed to make it into the round of 16 of UCL for the first time since the 2003-04 campaign this season. They will be playing in the Europa League this season but remain one of the most successful teams in the knockout stage of the competition.
They have made it to the final of the competition eight times so far, lifting the title five times and finishing as runners-up three times. However, they have struggled in their recent outings in the knockout stages. They suffered an 8-2 defeat in the quarter-finals at the hands of eventual champions 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.
#2 Bayern Munich - 18 appearances in UCL round of 16
Bayern Munich have 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 completed their treble. However, they were eliminated from the quarter-finals last season by PSG on away goals (3-3).
The Bundesliga club have scored 22 goals in six group stage games this season. They are expected to cruise through to the next round against Red Bull Salzburg.
#1 Real Madrid - 19 appearances in UCL round of 16
Real Madrid are the most successful team in the history of the competition, winning it a record 13 times. So it is only natural that they have made it to the round of 16 more times than any other team.
The La Liga giants won the competition thrice in three years between 2016 and 2018. However, they have made it past the round of 16 just once since their 2018 title-winning run.
They have made it to the knockout stage of the competition every single season since the 1990-91 campaign. But the round of 16 was introduced in the 2003-04 campaign.
They square off against PSG in their round of 16 fixtures this week in Paris, in the standout fixture of the competition this season. It will be a test of their preparedness as they look to secure their 14th title in the competition.
