Cup Draws: Atalanta to Face Bayern, Italian Derby in Europa League

The draw ceremony for the knockout stages in Nyon brought extremely interesting outcomes for fans of European football, particularly those following the fortunes of clubs from Italy and Germany. In the most prestigious Champions League, the absolute highlight of the round of 16 will be the clash between the title holders, Real Madrid, and Manchester City. Italian side Atalanta Bergamo, after eliminating Borussia Dortmund in earlier stages, will once again face a German giant — this time the draw has assigned them Bayern Munich. Representatives of the club from Bergamo openly admit this is the toughest possible opponent but declare pride in representing Italy at this stage of the competition. From the 2024/2025 season, the Champions League is held in a new format, where the traditional group stage has been replaced by a league phase, and the knockout bracket is determined based on positions in the overall standings.From the perspective of the German Bundesliga, the draw is assessed as demanding. In addition to Bayern's clash with Atalanta, fans can look forward to the duel between Bayer Leverkusen and Arsenal. The German press emphasizes that a direct clash between two clubs from Germany at such an early stage was avoided, which offers a chance for greater representation in the quarter-finals. It is worth noting that the tournament bracket is already set all the way to the final, allowing coaches to strategically plan player fitness. „Saremo orgogliosi di rappresentare l'Italia contro un club così grande come il Bayern Monaco.” (We will be proud to represent Italy against such a great club as Bayern Munich.) — General Manager of Atalanta Bergamo, commenting on the draw against Bayern.Nevertheless, the Europa League draw provided no less excitement. Here, a situation rarely seen at this stage occurred — an Italian derby between Bologna and AS Roma. This is a matchup both clubs would have preferred to avoid, as it guarantees the elimination of one of Serie A's decorated representatives. Meanwhile, in the Europa Conference League, Fiorentina remains the sole Italian representative, having avoided the strongest opponents. Analyses indicate that the coming weeks will be crucial for UEFA's national coefficients, which determine the number of spots in next season's cup editions. Italian derbies in European cups have a rich history, including the memorable 2003 Champions League final where AC Milan defeated Juventus Turin on penalties.All first-leg knockout stage matches are scheduled for March, heralding an intense football marathon for Europe's biggest brands.