Champions League Last 16 Draw

We are now down to the last 16 of the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League and what mouth-watering ties we have on the agenda.

Barcelona v Paris Saint-Germain

The pick of the ties. These two giants of European football will go toe-to-toe for the ninth time in European Cup football. The Catalans hold an advantage over the Parisians, winning seven out of twelve meetings.

Not only will it be PSG vs Barca but it will also be Messi vs Neymar as well. These two South American superstars were best of mates when the Brazilian maestro joined Barca in July 2013 and spent four years and one month with them before moving to Paris in August 2017.

The duo enjoyed each other’s company and were the heart of Barca along with Luis Suarez, the trio were also known as ‘MSN’.

Neymar may not have his two amigos in Paris but his team will still cause a threat to his former side, particularly with the likes of World Cup superstar Kylian Mbappé in the ranks.

Thomas Tuchel’s side reached last year’s final only to be beaten by 13-time European Champions Bayern Munich, can they go one step further this time?

Atletico Madrid v Chelsea

Another tough test lies ahead for Frank Lampard’s Blues. Although Chelsea managed to reach last season’s Round of 16, they were comprehensively beaten 7-1 on aggregate by German Giants Bayern Munich.

This time round, they will face three-time Europa League Champions Atletico Madrid. The two sides have previously met six times in the Champions League with the last being in the Group Stages of the 2017 competition.

They are level historically for victories, draws, and defeats. Chelsea certainly look stronger this season with the likes of Edouard Mendy, Thiago Silva and Timo Werner in the wings, but how will they fare against the likes of Kieran Trippier, Saul Niguez, Marcos Llorente and Joao Felix?

FC Porto v Juventus

Sérgio Conceição’s Porto will face Andrea Pirlo’s Juventus for a place in the last eight of the 2020-21 Champions League.

Since their famous victory in 2004 under Mourinho, the Portuguese side have barely threatened to add to their success in this competition, can they do so against the 2019-20 Serie A champions who have won this competition twice?

If they are to do so, it will have be a monumental effort from Porto, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo who will be hungry for more success.

Porto will be hoping that the likes of Felipe Anderson, on a season loan from West Ham, can cause problems for the Italian giants.

Borussia Monchengladbach v Manchester City

Although Pep Guardiola’s City have been consistent in reaching the quarter finals in their last three campaigns, they will want to go better and go all the way.

However, there are some tricky hurdles that they need to pass by. The first of which is Borussia Monchengladbach.

The German side are in eighth place in the Bundesliga table. The visitors are in ninth place in the Premier League table.

On paper, this should be a straightforward tie for City, but the German side have nothing to lose. Especially with Marcus Thuram and Alassane Pléa in their side. Plea was the top goalscorer for Monchengladbach in the Group Stages, and could cause problems for Guardiola’s side.

Lazio v Bayern Munich

The six-time champions face Simone Inzaghi’s Lazio in the last-16 stage.

This will be the second time that Lazio have made it to the last 16 stage, the first was in 2000, where they were knocked out of the quarterfinals by Valencia.

This is their first appearance in the competition since 2015/16, and they would want to give Bayern a tough contest. Are we in for a shock by the Italian side?

As for Bayern, they will be looking to be the third team to defend a Champions League title after AC Milan and Real Madrid, Can they do it?

They certainly have the players to do so including top scorer Robert Lewandowski, who in their last campaign scored in every match apart from the final. Can he once again deliver the goods for his  side?

One potential weakness for Bayern is that they play with quite a high defensive line, something Inzaghi’s side might try to exploit. Can they do so, or will this be yet another quarter-final for the reigning champions?

RB Leipzig v Liverpool

RB Leipzig had a campaign to remember as they reached the semi-finals of last season’s competition.

Can they give us another surprise by knocking out the Premier League champions? They certainly could if their star man Angeliño gets involved.

The young Spaniard has been banging in goals for fun for the German side, but what sort of mood will he be in against the Reds?

Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp’s Reds will be hoping for a better campaign this time round. As always, Liverpool’s front three in Salah, Mané and Firmino will be looking to cause chaos for Leipzig’s defence with their speedy movements with and without the ball.

Sevilla v Borussia Dortmund

The Europa League champions will face the two-time champions in the knockout stages of this season’s competition.

Dortmund reached the Last 16 of last year’s competition, where they were comprehensively beaten by last year’s runners up PSG.

Meanwhile, the Europa League champions will be looking to reach the quarter finals of this competition for only the second time in their history.

The two sides had only met each other twice overall. In the Group Stages of the 2010-11 Europa League with the first meeting being a 2-2 draw, followed by a 1-0 victory to Sevilla in the second group match. What can we expect to see this time round?

Atalanta v Real Madrid

Relative newcomers Atalanta will welcome European giants Real Madrid in the last 16 of this season’s competition.

The Galacticos are in their 29th campaign in this tournament, which they have won a record breaking seven times. Most recently in 2018, where they beat Liverpool in the final.

This season they will be looking to add to their legacy in this tournament by trying to add an eighth title to their cabinet. However standing in their way are Italian side Atalanta who are only in their second season of Champions League football.

Although Real have superstars such as Eden Hazard and Karim Benzema in their side, Atalanta will be determined to spring a surprise.

Atalanta’s Papu Gomez is reportedly being looked at by many of the top clubs in Europe. Can he shine against Europe’s best?

So, these are the ties the Last 16 has to offer, who will make it to the last eight?

Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt