The UEFA Champions League reaches an exciting stage, the knockout rounds. The knockout rounds of the 2022/23 competition, featuring the cream of the crop, will kick off with the Round of 16 which will begin in February next month.
The Round of 16 draw on Monday, November 7, 2022 did not disappoint. The draw paired the group winners against one of the group runners-up with some exciting fixtures to look up to next year. One of the most anticipated matches is Real Madrid vs. Liverpool.
The match between English-side, Liverpool, and Spanish giants, Real Madrid, in the round of 16 of the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League will be a repeat of last year’s final.
Los Blancos claimed a 1-0 victory over the Reds in Paris back in May this year, as the Madrid-based team won its 14th European Cup. This time around, the two sides will clash earlier in the UCL as the Spanish side’s title defence continue from the last 16 with Jurgen Klopp’s men.
In what will be a repeat of the 2020 final, Paris Saint-German will face Bayern Munich in the round of 16. The last final meeting between these two sides saw Kingsley Coman’s strike sealing victory for the German giants.
Meanwhile, another English team, Manchester City, has been handed a tricky battle after being drawn against German side, RB Leipzig. Though Manchester City underrates its opponent at its own peril, City remains the fans’ favorite to win this particular tie.
City was unbeaten in its group-stage games, amassing 14 points from a possible 18 in a group that consisted of Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla and Copenhagen.
History-making Club Brugge faces tricky tie
Having made the knockout stage for the first time in history, Club Brugge will face Benfica in a tricky tie in the round of 16.
AC Milan will go up against Tottenham Hotspur in their game in the competition while Inter and Porto also go head-to-head. Another former UCL winner from the English Premier League (EPL), Chelsea, will face German giants, Borussia Dortmund in the other fixture. This is another fixture that is too close to call but the English side is expected to get the job done over the German rivals.
The first legs of the last 16 encounters will take place across Europe between February 14, 15, 21 and 22, 2023 with the return dates penciled for March 7, 8, 14 and 15, 2023.
It is the hope of these teams that are still involved in the competition to make their way to the final scheduled to take place in June 10. 2023 at Istanbul.
Round of 16 fixtures
RB Leipzig v Man City
Club Brugge v Benfica
Liverpool v Real Madrid
AC Milan v Spurs
Frankfurt v Napoli
Borussia Dortmund v Chelsea
Inter Milan v Porto
PSG v Bayern Munich
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