The draw for the Champions League Round of Sixteen was announced Monday. Liverpool will face defending champion Real Madrid in a repeat of last year’s final which the Reds lost 1-0. Bolstered by the addition of scoring dervish Erling Haaland, Manchester City is a favorite in this year’s tournament and takes the next step in their title quest when they meet RB Leipzig in the next round. The German side is currently sixth in the Bundesliga table. Chelsea will also face a German opponent in Borussia Dortmund. Dortmund has not advanced beyond the Round of Sixteen since current Liverpool Manager Jurgen Klopp brought them to the quarterfinals in 2011/12. Tottenham Hotspur draws AC Milan as the two clubs will face each other for the first time in 11 years. The Premier League sides caught somewhat of a break in the competition when two of the cup favorites, PSG and Bayern Munich, were selected to play each other in the next round. The Champions League resumes in February.
Manchester United, after failing to win its Europa League group, must qualify for the next round via playoff. Their opponent is none other than Spanish giant Barcelona which drops down from Champions League after its elimination in group play. Both clubs can be disappointed by the group stage results in their respective competitions but have presented fans with an intriguing playoff matchup between two historic clubs. The playoffs begin in February.
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