Liverpool will face Paris Saint-Germain in a Champions League last-16 tie that provides a significant hurdle in their attempt to lift the trophy for the first time since 2019.
It is the toughest-looking assignment of those presented to the Premier League’s three representatives. Arsenal will fancy their chances of overcoming PSV Eindhoven over two legs, while Aston Villa will be favoured to navigate a rematch with the surprise packages Club Brugge for a place in the quarter-finals. The standout tie by some distance, though, is a Madrid derby between age-old rivals Real and Atlético.
In the Europa League last 16, Tottenham will renew acquaintances with AZ Alkmaar while Manchester United are tasked with a difficult-looking clash against Real Sociedad. There is a visit to Turkey for Rangers, who play José Mourinho’s Fenerbahce. In the Conference League, Chelsea were drawn with Copenhagen.
Arne Slot’s Liverpool side will host the second leg of their meeting with PSG at Anfield, giving them a potential advantage against opponents who have clicked into form after a stuttering start in this season’s competition. PSG put 10 goals past their domestic rivals Brest in the playoffs and finished the league phase with impressive wins over Manchester City and Stuttgart. Nonetheless, Liverpool can point to a league phase in which they beat Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and Milan.
Arsenal, who will have their second leg at home, play PSV for the third consecutive season. Those earlier meetings were in Europa League and Champions League group-stage games, Mikel Arteta’s side winning two and losing once before most recently drawing 1-1 in December 2023. The Eredivisie side are buoyant after completing a comeback win over Juventus in the playoffs and also beat an under-strength Liverpool on match-day eight of the league phase.
For Villa, a first-leg trip to Brugge will revive memories of their bizarre league phase defeat against the same opponents in November. That match was literally handed to the Belgian side when Tyrone Mings picked the ball up from a short goal-kick, thinking play had not restarted, and was punished when Hans Vanaken scored the resulting penalty. Brugge played some exceptional football in overcoming a fancied Atalanta 5-2 on aggregate in the playoffs.
Should Liverpool and Villa both prevail, they will face each other for an all-English quarter-final in April. If Arsenal go through they will play the winners of Real’s mouthwatering clash with Atlético, which is a rerun of the 2014 and 2016 finals. The reigning champions Real will host the first leg after being forced to negotiate a playoff with Manchester City. A Madrid derby was last played in this competition eight years ago, when Real beat Atlético in the 2016-17 semi-finals.
In the pick of the remaining ties Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen take their Bundesliga rivalry on to the European stage. Vincent Kompany’s Bayern sit eight points clear of their opponents at the top of the domestic league but were fortunate to squeak past Celtic in earning this tie. Xabi Alonso and Leverkusen will hope to benefit from hosting the second leg.
Feyenoord will face Inter in a huge early test for Robin van Persie, a surprise appointment as head coach of his former club. They will hope to follow the blueprint set by their win over Milan in the playoff round. The winner of that tie will play whoever comes through the all-German meeting.
The other two last-16 ties pit Barcelona against Benfica and Borussia Dortmund with Lille. The respective winners will meet in the last eight. The last-16 games will be played on 4-5 and 11-12 of March, with the quarter-finals on 8-9 and 15-16 April.
In the Europa League, Spurs beat AZ 1-0 at home in the league phase and must now attempt to outdo the Eredivisie’s fifth-placed side over two legs, the second of which will be played at home. The winner will play Ajax or Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals.
Manchester United’s meeting with Real Sociedad, who are 11th in La Liga, will revive memories of group stage ties in 2022 that were both won by the away side. The second leg will take place at Old Trafford. Should they go through, United will play either Lyon or the Romanian club FCSB. If Rangers come through their fiendish test against Fenerbahce they will meet Roma or Athletic Bilbao.
Source: theguardian.com
