Premier League champions Liverpool face RB Leipzig the side who qualified by knocking Manchester United out of the competition in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Champions League Last 16 Draw
Chelsea faces the toughest test of the English sides still in the competition who face Atletico Madrid, while Manchester City will face Borussia Monchengladbach.
The tie of the round sees Barcelona face off against Paris Saint-Germain, in a repeat of the 2017 classic showdown. Holders, Bayern Munich face Italian side Lazio, looking to join an exclusive club who have won the Champions League in back-to-back seasons.
All three Premier League sides will travel away for the first leg, with the deciding fixture in front of their home fans. The first legs will spread across two midweeks, taking place during the weeks of 16-17th and 23-24th of February with the second legs on 9-10th and 16-17th of March.
Liverpool
With fans allowed back into Anfield last weekend, the second leg of the tie against the German side is sure to be electric. Leipzig, however, showed against Man United they are a formidable opponent and capable of beating the Merseyside club.
Jurgen Klopp’s defensive crisis has whistled throughout his team, including new signing Diogo Jota set to face 6-8 weeks out with injury. Joel Matip, who is currently the only fit first-team defender was taken off on the weekend against Fulham as a precaution. With long-term injuries to Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, it will be interesting to see if Klopp will dip into the transfer market.
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola’s side is set to face a German side who are in the last 16 of the competition for the first time since 1978. Monchengladbach qualified from a difficult group and finished top that included three-time winners Inter Milan and thirteen-time winners Real Madrid.
City are starting to find some form both domestically and in Europe and with a new defensive partnership and key striker Sergio Aguero on the verge of returning from injury; City could be dark horses in this competition.
Chelsea
Frank Lampard’s side faces the hardest undertaking going up against an in-form Atletico Madrid side. Madrid lost for the first time last weekend in the Madrid derby to Real Madrid but still hold a two-game advantage on the rest of the teams.
Diego Simeone’s side beat Liverpool at the same stage last season and with the signing of Luis Suarez from Barcelona, it will definitely be a formidable challenge for the Blues.
The Tie of the Round
Lionel Messi’s Barcelona is set to face former teammate Neymar’s PSG in a repeat of the 2017 encounter. The French side had been leading the tie 4-0 after the first leg but for Barcelona to stun and stupefy the odds and win 6-1 at the Nou Camp to advance into the next round.
Neymar suffered a serious ankle injury as he was carried off on a stretcher in his team’s defeat to Lyon. It has not been confirmed how serious and how long the Brazilian wizard will be out for.
Full Champions League Last 16 Draw
Borussia Monchengladbach v Manchester City
Lazio v Bayern Munich
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
RB Leipzig v Liverpool
Porto v Juventus
Barcelona v Paris St-Germain
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