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Champions League last 16 draw: Manchester City face Real Madrid, Liverpool drawn with Atletico, Chelsea to play Bayern

Hamit Altintop handed Manchester City a tough draw - AFP
Hamit Altintop handed Manchester City a tough draw - AFP

Pep Guardiola’s quest to win a first Champions League crown for Manchester City will require a victory over the competition’s most formidable club after they were drawn against Real Madrid in the round of 16.

Guardiola has constantly played down City’s chances of winning ­European football’s biggest prize during his time at the Etihad ­Stadium, but with the defence of their Premier League title fading fast in the shade of Liverpool’s ­domestic brilliance, the pressure is on more than ever to do well on the continent.

City have reached the semi-final stage only once, under Guardiola’s predecessor, Manuel Pellegrini, when they were narrowly beaten by Real Madrid in 2016. They have been knocked out once in the last 16 and twice in the quarter-finals under Guardiola.

Real went on to the win the ­competition that year, the first of three titles in a row, and have lifted the trophy a ­record 13 times. As they were three years ago, Real will be managed by Zinedine Zidane, although they lost to Ajax in the round of 16 last season and have also been inconsistent in La Liga this season.

Nevertheless, it is a tough test for City to pass and an emotional one for Guardiola, given his strong ties to Barcelona and support of the Catalan independence movement.

“It’s a difficult one,” Txiki Begiristain, Manchester City’s director of football, said. “Real Madrid are the best. We want to be the best so we have to try to beat them. It’s always a pleasure to play against Real Madrid, and also to play in a big stadium like the Santiago ­Bernabeu. We’re happy to go there, of course, and we know what we are going to face, we know them very well.

“Also, of course, they know us and what we’re doing and our ­manager and our team. Everybody knows each other, but it’s a real pleasure to go there.”

There was also a tough draw in Nyon for defending champions Liverpool, who will face Atletico Madrid, although it will also mean a return to the Estadio Metropolitano, the scene of their triumph over Tottenham in the final in June.

Atletico are not the force they once were in Spain, and have looked like a team in transition under manager Diego Simeone after losing star striker Antoine Griezmann to Barcelona in the summer. But they finished second in La Liga last season and are still dangerous opponents, of which Jurgen Klopp, the Liverpool manager, is all too aware.

“Madrid is the place where we only have fantastic memories, all of us, so that’s great, but this time we play Atletico and it’s their home ground,” Klopp told his club’s ­official website.

“I think we had the home dressing room in that game. Maybe we can ask them: can we have that dressing room again? It was really nice. It was full with Liverpool signs, but I think they’ve got rid of them. It is fantastic. I had one of the best nights of my life in this ­stadium, but this time – first and foremost – we have to go there to work and try our best.”

Both City and Liverpool, though, will have the advantage of playing the second leg at home. Chelsea’s young side will not be expected to beat German giants Bayern Munich, although that may be a blessing in disguise for manager Frank Lampard.

Bayern have not been as impressive this season as in previous years, but still won all six of their group games and have arguably Europe’s best striker in Robert Lewandowski, who will relish facing ­Chelsea’s leaky defence. Lampard, who captained Chelsea to victory to a penalty shoot-out victory in the 2012 final against ­Bayern, said on the club’s Twitter account: “It will be very different and very taxing.”

Soccer Football - Premier League - Burnley v Chelsea - Turf Moor, Burnley, Britain - October 26, 2019 Chelsea manager Frank Lampard celebrates after the match Action Images via Reuters - Credit: Action Images via Reuters
Chelsea's Frank Lampard will take on Bayern Munich in the last 16 Credit: Action Images via Reuters

Tottenham Hotspur will also travel to Germany, where they will take on new force RB Leipzig, who have emerged as Bayern’s main ­domestic rivals. It is a draw Jose Mourinho, the Spurs manager, will still feel has been kind to them and it is a tie club ambassador Ledley King believes they will win.

“The manager has won the Champions League and his experience will rub off on the players,” he told BT Sport.

“They [Leipzig] are a good side, play with a lot of pace and intensity. Going to Germany is tough. It is one we won’t be taking lightly. It will be a tough task, but I am quietly ­confident we can get through.”

In other ties, five-time winners Barcelona play Napoli, who are eighth in Serie A, and Italian ­champions Juventus take on French side Lyon.

Ligue 1 leaders Paris St-Germain play two-time finalists Borussia Dortmund and Atalanta, playing in Europe’s elite competition for the first time, have been drawn against Valencia. The first legs will be played on Feb 18-19 and 25-26, with the second legs on March 10-11 and 17-18.

Champions League round of 16 draw in full

  • Borussia Dortmund vs Paris Saint-Germain

  • Real Madrid vs Man City

  • Atalanta vs Valencia

  • Atletico Madrid vs Liverpool

  • Chelsea vs Bayern Munich

  • Lyon vs Juventus

  • Tottenham vs RB Leipzig

  • Napoli vs Barcelona

11:47AM

Hehe

11:30AM

Pep to face Real yet again

11:29AM

Kieran Trippier returns to England to face Liverpool

Atletico vs Liverpool is up there for the draw of the round, isn't it? Trippier returns to England. Simeone vs Klopp. Atletico aren't the team they once were, but they still don't really concede many goals, while Liverpool score loads. Something will have to give.

11:24AM

What a draw that is!

Three absolutely huge ties for the Liverpool, City and Chelsea, while Spurs really will fancy their chances against Leipzig, even if they are top of the Bundesliga.

11:20AM

The draw in full

  • Borussia Dortmund vs Paris Saint-Germain

  • Real Madrid vs Man City

  • Atalanta vs Valencia

  • Atletico Madrid vs Liverpool

  • Chelsea vs Bayern Munich

  • Lyon vs Juventus

  • Tottenham vs RB Leipzig

  • Napoli vs Barcelona

11:20AM

So that means

Napoli face Barcelona.

11:20AM

Spurs are out of the hat..

and they will face RB Leipzig!

11:19AM

Next up

Lyon will face Juventus.

11:18AM

Chelsea will face...

... Bayern Munich  - a rerun of the 2012 final!

11:17AM

HUGE DRAW!

Liverpool get Atletico Madrid!

11:17AM

One of these teams will get into the quarters!

Atalanta are drawn against Valencia!

11:16AM

Next up

Real Madrid will play Manchester City!

11:15AM

First out the hat

Borussia Dortmund.... and they will face Paris Saint-Germain!

11:14AM

"We are really ready to proceed"

Uefa chief Georgio Marchetti says we're about to get started. Let's do this.

11:11AM

Hadn't realised this

11:09AM

Just got to introduce some special guests first, obviously

Kelly Smith and Hamit Altintop will be conducting the draw.

Kelly Smith with the CL trophy - Credit: AFP
It's a thumbs up from Kelly Credit: AFP

11:06AM

Here we go

I think... I THINK... we might actually be about to get started.

11:03AM

The build up has begun...

... hopefully there won't be too much faffing around now. Just got to watch Uefa's obligatory 16-team montage first.

10:59AM

We're ready, are you?

10:42AM

The agony and the ectasy

Last season's Champions League knockout rounds produced some of the most dramatic moments in recent footballing memory. Here's a reminder of just a few.

Manchester United's players celebrate after winning the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second-leg football match between Paris Saint-Germain - Credit: AFP
Manchester United came back from the brink to beat PSG Credit: AFP
 Lucas Moura of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates after scoring his team's third goal with Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final  - Credit: Getty images
Lucas Moura scored a second-half hat-trick away at Ajax to send Spurs into the Champions League final Credit: Getty images
Barcelona's Luis Suarez reacts after conceding their first goal scored by Liverpool's Divock Origi  - Credit: Reuters
Liverpool produced one of the all-time great comebacks to knock out Barcelona in the semi-final Credit: Reuters
Liverpool's Jordan Henderson lifts the trophy with his team-mates after winning the UEFA Champions League Final at the Wanda Metropolitano - Credit: PA
And Liverpool were ultimately crowned champions of Europe Credit: PA

10:29AM

Who could the English sides get?

Possible Liverpool opponents: Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund, Lyon

Possible Man City opponents: Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Napoli, Lyon.

Possible Chelsea opponents: Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, Barcelona, Red Bull Leipzig, Bayern Munich.

Possible Tottenham opponents: Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, Barcelona, Red Bull Leipzig, Valencia.

10:21AM

It's Champions League draw time!

Even when the football stops, there's still something football related to think about, isn't there?

Just 15 hours on from Manchester City's mauling of Arsenal on Sunday afternoon and we're only the draw for the last 16 of the Champions League this morning at Uefa HQ in Nyon, Switzerland. Exciting time, hey?

It will probably be a massively dragged-out affair, but that won't take away from the fact that we could be in for some really tasty ties in the next round of Europe's premier competition.

How the draw works

It's simple: each of the eight group winners will be drawn against the eight group runners up. Teams from the same country cannot be drawn against one another, and you cannot face a team you played in the group stage.

Group winners: Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Juventus, Liverpool, Barcelona, RB Leipzig and Valencia.

Group runners-up: Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Lyon, Borussia Dortmund, Napoli, Atalanta, Atletico Madrid.

So that means we could have Liverpool vs Real Madrid, Chelsea vs Juventus, Tottenham vs PSG and Manchester City vs Atletico Madrid in the next round of the Champions League.

See, I told you it was exciting, didn't I?