The draw for the Round of 16 of the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League took place on Monday, opening up the path to Wembley for the final. This season’s knockout stage sees several heavyweight clubs absent, such as Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Juventus, making the competition more open than ever before. With some intriguing matchups ahead, can the outsiders take advantage of a favorable draw and make a run to the latter stages? Let’s analyze the Round of 16 ties and how they will shape up.
Arsenal, the Premier League leaders, have a seemingly good chance of progressing to the quarterfinals against Porto. However, the Portuguese team possesses experience and quality, particularly with the evergreen defender Pepê, the Champions League’s oldest-ever goalscorer. Porto performed well in the group stages, only losing points to Spanish champions Barcelona. Arsenal should be cautious as their young team faces a dangerous opponent with firepower upfront. Porto’s Brazilian forwards Galeno and Evanilson have been prolific in the group stage. The Gunners need to treat Conceicao’s team with total respect to avoid an upset.
Arguably the tie of the round, the clash between the champions of Spain and Italy promises to be an entertaining one. Both Barcelona and Napoli have displayed vulnerabilities during the group stage, particularly in defense. Napoli, under new coach Walter Mazzarri, will look to capitalize on Barcelona’s away defeats against Shakhtar Donetsk and Antwerp. With attacking threats like Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Napoli will be confident of achieving a crucial win in the first leg. Expect a high-scoring matchup, where domestic form in February might influence the final outcome.
While PSG may be considered favorites due to their regular presence in this stage of the competition, they face a tough opponent in Real Sociedad. The Spanish team emerged from the group stage with the best defensive record, conceding just two goals. Although PSG still possesses the talent of Kylian Mbappé, he has been underwhelming during the group stage. Real Sociedad is a well-drilled unit that will be organized and resolute in their approach. La Real have nothing to fear against PSG and could potentially cause an upset in this tie.
Both Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid have recently suffered defeats in the Champions League final but still harbor ambitions to go all the way this season. Both teams went undefeated in the group stage, setting the stage for an evenly contested matchup. Inter currently leads Serie A, showcasing their good form with Lautaro Martínez and Marcus Thuram leading the attack. Atletico, on the other hand, boasts the joint-leading scorers in the Champions League: Antoine Griezmann and Álvaro Morata. Expect a high-level tie that could potentially go to penalties.
Despite Dortmund’s pedigree in the Champions League, PSV shouldn’t be underestimated. The Dutch club boasts a 100% domestic record and has scored an impressive 56 goals in 16 Eredivisie games. PSV’s blend of exciting youngsters and experienced stars, coupled with a strong representation from the US Men’s National Team, provides them with the tools to cause an upset. However, Dortmund will also see this as a favorable draw and should come through as winners. Edin Terzic’s team will be aiming to continue their impressive campaign.
Bayern Munich, alongside Real Madrid, is one of the few serious threats to Manchester City’s hopes of retaining the Champions League. Lazio, on the other hand, struggled mid-table in Serie A and will need to improve their results before facing Bayern. Despite the experience and attacking threat of Ciro Immobile, Luis Alberto, and Pedro, it’s challenging to find a valid reason to back Lazio over two legs. Bayern Munich will regard this draw as a comfortable route through to the quarterfinals.
Manchester City, the reigning European champions, will face Copenhagen in a tie that they should comfortably win. Although Copenhagen achieved a shock 4-3 home win against Manchester United in the group stage, it’s unlikely they will repeat that result against City. While Copenhagen’s 18-year-old forward, Roony Bardghji, has shown potential, City’s quality and experience should prevail over two legs. Pep Guardiola’s team will be relieved to have avoided tougher opponents like PSG and Napoli at this stage of the tournament.
Real Madrid faces a potentially tricky tie against RB Leipzig, especially with memories of last season’s defeat against them in the group stage. Although Madrid has the players to make this a comfortable tie, Leipzig has become a regular in the Champions League and can make life difficult. With talented attackers like Loïs Openda and Dani Olmo, Leipzig possesses the firepower to trouble Madrid. However, it will depend on Madrid’s ability to avoid allowing Leipzig too many opportunities. Madrid’s weaknesses and injuries could make this tie dangerous, but they should still progress to the next round.
The Round of 16 draw has set up some thrilling matchups in the UEFA Champions League. With several heavyweight clubs absent, the competition appears more open than ever before. Arsenal, Barcelona, PSG, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, and Real Madrid will all be gunning for a spot in the quarterfinals. The outcome of these ties will depend on each team’s form, performance, and ability to navigate their opponents’ strengths. Excitement and unpredictability await as the race to Wembley begins.