The draw for the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League has been made. The most intriguing matchups are Real Madrid vs. Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain vs. Chelsea. Spanish-English rivalry will dominate this stage of the competition, with fans eagerly awaiting new chapters of European classics. The detailed match schedule is now known, which has forced significant changes to the domestic league calendars of top European clubs, including FC Barcelona and Atlético Madrid.

Giants' Rematch

Real Madrid drew Manchester City for the fifth year in a row, making this clash the most important fixture of the Round of 16.

Schedule Changes

The Champions League schedule forced immediate changes to the La Liga calendar and the postponement of matches in the French Ligue 1.

Italian-German Rivalry

Italian Atalanta will battle Bayern Munich, avoiding a national clash with other German teams.

The Champions League Round of 16 draw in Nyon produced several thrilling pairings that dominated sports headlines across Europe. The absolute highlight of the knockout stage will be the fifth consecutive meeting between Real Madrid and Manchester City. This rivalry has become a new European classic in recent years, with experts noting that both teams currently display the highest level of game intensity. Equally exciting is the Paris Saint-Germain vs. Chelsea pairing. The history of meetings between these teams is rife with controversy, including memories of brawls and chaos from previous years. The authorities of Ligue 1 have already taken steps to make things easier for the Parisians – with the consent of club Nantes, PSG's league match has likely been postponed to the second half of April to give Luis Enrique's players optimal recovery time before facing the Londoners. Despite a theoretically tough draw, PSG fans express confidence, believing in progression to the quarter-finals. The Champions League knockout system has for years been based on a Round of 16 draw, where group winners are seeded and face runners-up, with the rule that teams from the same country cannot be drawn against each other.Italian media are focusing on the fate of Atalanta, who face a "German language exam" in their clash with Bayern Munich. Meanwhile, Spain's La Liga faced a logistical challenge. The kick-off times for matchday 27 league fixtures involving Real Madrid and Barcelona were changed multiple times within just a few hours of UEFA's schedule announcement. UEFA assigned Barcelona and Atlético the so-called "long path" of fixtures, while Real Madrid will settle their fate in a shorter timeframe. Hansi Flick, coach of the Catalan giants, expressed some concerns after drawing Newcastle United, noting the physical style of the English team. Beyond the sporting excitement, off-pitch incidents cast a shadow over the competition – Benfica Lisbon has sanctioned five of its members for racist behavior during a previous match against Real Madrid. „Está mejor entrenado, juega con más ritmo...” (He is better trained, plays with more rhythm...) — Cañizares

Mentioned People

  • Luis Enrique — Paris Saint-Germain manager, involved in preparations for the match against Chelsea.
  • Hansi Flick — FC Barcelona manager, who commented on the draw against Newcastle.