The 2018-19 Champions League round of 16 is now set after the draw on Monday, and fans of the game have gotten some absolutely enticing matches to look forward to when the action kicks back up in February. Following the group stage which concluded last week, the 16 teams were paired as group winners were drawn with group runners-up, with the only stipulations being teams could not play another from the same group or a team from the same federation. Here are the results:
- Manchester City vs. Schalke
- Juventus vs. Atletico Madrid
- PSG vs. Manchester United
- Borussia Dortmund vs. Tottenham
- Barcelona vs. Lyon
- Porto vs. Roma
- Real Madrid vs. Ajax
- Bayern Munich vs. Liverpool
Off the bat, no tie is greater on paper than that of Liverpool and Bayern. Sure, the German club has struggled a bit this season, coming out of the gates slowly, but the talent is there for them to get to the final if they put it all together. Meanwhile, with the addition of Alisson, the Reds look like serious contenders to win.
Dortmund and Tottenham is also a tasty one between two teams who like to play fast. They were in the group stage together last season, with Spurs winning both games.
And then there is Atletico Madrid vs. Juventus, with Cristiano Ronaldo getting another crack at a team he helped beat in two finals with Real Madrid. This is a battle of two of the most defensive teams in Europe, two squads that are organized and aren't going to give anything up, forcing their opponent to earn everything they get. Atletico boss Diego Simeone gets the chance to ruin Ronaldo's first season with the Italian club, while the Portuguese star's experience against Atleti will serve as an advantage when it comes to match preparation.
The runners-up play the first game at home, with the second game being played at the home of the group winners. The first legs will take place on Feb. 12-13 or Feb. 19-20, with the return legs on either March 5-6 or March 12-13.
You can watch the Champions League on fuboTV (Try for free).
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