The draw for the 2019/20 UEFA Champions League round of 16 stage is complete and we know who will be facing each other in this stage of the competition. It was an interesting draw and some teams will be pleased with the result. However, it was not a great draw for the four English clubs and it will be interesting to see how many remain in the quarter-final.
Starting with Manchester City, they finished top of their group which contained Atalanta, Shakhtar Donetsk and Dinamo Zagreb. Manchester City were undefeated in their 6 group matches, winning 4 and finishing 7 points clear of the other teams. Finishing top of the group is thought to lead to an easier draw in the round of 16 but that wasn't the case for Manchester City who will face Real Madrid for a place in the quarter-final.
The Spanish club finished second to Paris Saint-Germain in their group and were one of the teams to avoid for those who came top of their group. Real Madrid may not have been at their best so far this season but have great quality throughout their team and the potential to beat anyone in the Champions League this season. The draw could not have been much worse for Manchester City and with the Premier League title seemingly slipping away the pressure will be on Pep Guardiola to deliver in this competition.
More info right here...https://t.co/fHBSXKtkcf— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 16, 2019
More info right here...https://t.co/fHBSXKtkcf
Joining Manchester City in facing a Spanish opposition in the Champions League round of 16 are Liverpool who will meet Atletico Madrid. Much like their local Madrid rivals, Atletico Madrid have not been reaching the heights of previous seasons but still pose a big threat to the current Champions League holders. With Lyon, Borussia Dortmund and Atalanta among the other teams available, Liverpool will be far from happy with the outcome of the draw.
Chelsea finished second to Valencia in their group and were always likely to face tough opposition in the Champions League round of 16 draw. The Blues managed to avoid Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain but still managed to pull out a big name in Bayern Munich. The Bundesliga champions have work to do in order to retain their title in Germany this season but have looked impressive in the Champions League, defeating Tottenham Hotspur twice to win their group.
It is Tottenham Hotspur themselves who complete the Premier League interest in the Champions League this season and as highlighted above, they finished second in their group behind Bayern Munich. Spurs have drawn RB Leipzig, who have been performing well in the Bundesliga and Champions League this season. The German club they may not be the biggest name in the competition but they are certainly one of the form teams at the time of writing.
Having reached the final of the Champions League last season, Jose Mourinho is going to have his work cut out to repeat that feat in this campaign.
With all 4 Premier League teams facing tough opposition, could we see a Champions League quarter-final without any English involvement?