The most outstanding fixture in the just concluded UEFA Champions League round of 16 draw that took place earlier today, December 13, in Nyon, Switzerland is Manchester United vs Paris Saint Germain.
Recall that during the group stage of the 2021-2022 UEFA Champions League campaign, Manchester United finished top of their group while PSG finished second in their group. Hence, Manchester United were seeded during the draw while PSG were unseeded.
Unfortunately for Manchester United that were expecting a less difficult team, PSG that currently have the richest assembly of players were paired to play against them in the round of 16.
The fixture means that football enthusiasts will witness the rebirth of the biggest rivalry in football as career rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will meet for the first time since Messi left FC Barcelona for PSG and Ronaldo left Juventus for Manchester United.
The two stars have been rivals for over 13 years and they seem not to be ready to hang their boots anytime soon even though Ronaldo is now 36-year-old while Messi is now 34-year-old.
Another interesting fixture to look out for when the round of 16 kicks off in February is Inter Milan vs Ajax. Recall that during the group stage, Ajax became one of the most outstanding teams in the competition as they finished as Group C leaders.
The Dutch side did not drop any point as they went on to defeat every team in the group including Borussia Dortmund which they beat home and away.
Hence, Inter Milan have a mountain to climb even though the Italian side are one of the most experienced sides in the prestigious European club competition.
Also, Atletico Madrid vs Bayern Munich is a mouthwatering fixture that most football fans would be looking forward to.
Recall that Bayern Munich were unstoppable during the group stage. They won all their games in the group stage including home and away victory over FC Barcelona.
On the other hand, Atletico Madrid had to wait until the last day of the group stage campaign before they were able to secure their place in the round of 16. But, the Spanish side are capable of giving any team a very resounding fight. Hence, the world would want to see what Atletico can do against unstoppable Bayern in February.
When will the round of 16 ties take place?
The round of 16 ties has been spread across different weeks. Based on the UEFA calendar, the first legs of the ties will take place on February 15-16 and February 22-23. While the second legs of the ties will take place on March 8-9 and March 15-16.
Below is the full UEFA Champions League round of 16 draw
Villarreal vs Manchester City
Atletico Madrid vs Bayern Munich
Salzburg vs Liverpool
Inter Milan vs Ajax
Sporting Lisbon vs Juventus
Chelsea vs Lille
Paris Saint-Germain vs Manchester United
