UEFA Champions League group stage has just ended, and it is time to think about the last 16 round. We will have several wonderful matches for this round, and the contender of the mightiest trophy will be hinted at in this round.
The last 16 round is coming, and it is a little bit surreal to acknowledge how fast have the group stage been? It was like a roller coaster. From the incredible match of Cristiano Ronaldo against FC Barcelona to the battle cry in Paris between PSG and Manchester United, the group stage was an amazing buffet that UEFA Champions League has brought to the spectators. Absolutely, the last 16 rounds of the Champions League will also be as amazing as the group stage.
We will once again observe the rivalry between Barcelona and PSG in a UEFA Champions League display, while Real Madrid and Manchester City will face the rising star of the tournament Atalanta and Borussia Monchengladbach respectively.
Stamford Bridge will say welcome back to a former player of them when Diego Costa comes with Atletico Madrid for a display against Chelsea. On the other fixtures, Juventus will face FC Porto, and Bayern Munich will go one-on-one against Italian Lazio.
Lastly, RB Leipzig faces Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund has a clash against Sevilla.
UEFA Champion League will be out for temporarily 2 months, and so many things can change from then. Clubs can make a change on their managing position or add into their squad new names, and with the approaching from out of nowhere of the global pandemic, nothing is fixed right now. But here are some fixtures of the UEFA Champions League’s last 16 rounds that you can’t miss.
Atletico Madrid and Chelsea
There is not really any history or rivalry between Atletico and Chelsea, but this fixture still is going to be one of the best matches of the last 16 rounds.
Frank Lampard has proved why Chelsea put their faith in his managing ability though the coach is pretty young and lacks experience. But it is not the problem of being a soccer coach. Lampard showed that the young age did not equal to the low quality of coaching and managing.
However, Diego Simeone and his team won’t let the showcase between them and Chelsea be an easy one.
Remember the last time Atletico Madrid participated in the last 16 round? They defeated the reigning champion Liverpool to grab the qualification. Chelsea should expect the same result when they face the Spanish side.
Simeone will expect the coming back of Diego Costa who has been out for months because of injury, and we can expect the accompany between the Spanish striker and Luis Suarez who came to Atletico in summer from Barcelona. Nonetheless, the main star of Atletico will be Joao Felix, the wonderkid from Portugal.
Chelsea is not currently struggling with any urgent injury, but everything can change from now to February. English Premier League does not have the Christmas break, and Chelsea might expect the injury to happen at any time. And as it has been said earlier, Atletico Madrid is a tough challenger for the English side.
Related article: Leeds took the early lead, but Chelsea won in the end
Barcelona and PSG
It is quite obvious why this game is included in the list of must-watch games of the last 16 rounds. The rivalry between two teams, the infamous Remontada in the season of 2016-2017, and the relationship between Neymar and Messi, all of them fired off an irresistible match.
Barcelona is going through such a bad year of 2020 when they lost every single tournaments and could not accomplish a single trophy in the year 2020. Definitely, the biggest loss of 8-2 against Bayern Munich was the most shameful defeat for Barcelona.
Nonetheless, the team from Catalan is never an easy opponent to PSG. Barca and PSG have gone through each other for a total of 11 games, and Barca won five times, while PSG won three times, and the rest ended in drawn result. It was Barcelona that played better each time they met PSG, and it would not be surprise at all if the giant of Catalan redoes the same thing.
PSG is not a weak side, but compared to Barcelona they are like David facing the Goliath.
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RB Leipzig and Liverpool
A clash between two different style of rocks?
The young Nagelsmann will face the master of heavy rock metal style Jurgen Klopp in the showcase between his RB Leipzig and Liverpool. It will be a game of high-pressure, flow changing, and intense attacking. RB Leipzig in the last tournament of UEFA Champions League was able to make it to the semi-final while Liverpool was stopped from the last 16 round.
Probably, the same script can be rewritten if Liverpool let RB Leipzig has a good result at Anfield. But it might not happen, especially when Liverpool barely lost in the home game in the UEFA Champions League.
The fixture twist can happen at Red Bull Area where RB Leipzig is always the dominant side.
Bayern Munich last visiting this stadium ended with a drawn result of 3-3. Moreover, Leipzig also accomplished the pass through the group stage after a winning fixture at Red Bull Area. RB Leipzig obviously was a tough challenge for every team, including the 5 times winner of the UEFA Champions League like Liverpool.
Related articles: Fulham tackle Liverpool from taking the top spot of the EPL
Sevilla and Dortmund
It is not Bayern Munich or Manchester City that will be mentioned. Instead of, it is the showcase between Sevilla and Dortmund that you can not miss.
Though Dortmund has just changed the manager, their team remains to be an interesting club to follow. A group of talented youngsters is what makes Dortmund stand out compared to the other candidates for the UEFA Champions League trophy.
On the other, Sevilla is a team of veteran players who are experienced and well-known for the toughness of the UEFA Champions League.
It will not be easy at all for Dortmund when they have to wrestle against one of the most successful teams in the UEFA Europa League history. Sevilla has won 6 trophies in total at UEFA Europa League and it is time for them to prove their class in UEFA Champions League.
Anyway, Dortmund has a group of youngsters who are also passionate to prove their talent in front of European spectators. It will not be a game where people have a chance to follow the steps of a superstar as the match between PSG and Barcelona. But it will be the game between ages.
Can veterans of Sevilla show their class against youngsters of Dortmund? Let’s wait until February.
Related article: Borussia Dortmund sacked Lucian Favre after a shocking defeat
