The draw for the last 16 of the Champions League was made yesterday and there are some interesting ties to look forward. There is no standout tie, but there are some games that could be close. Let's see what I think of the draw.
Holders Man City have a very winnable tie as they'll be taking on Copenhagen. The Danish side finished above Man United in their group and even beat them at home. But City will still be heavy favourites for this game.
Arsenal also have a very winnable tie as they'll be taking on Porto. Porto were the last team Arsenal beat in a Champions League knockout round back in 2010 which was the last time they went beyond the round of 16. The Gunners will be the favourites for this one as Porto never go far in this competition.
The closest tie of the round is probably Inter MIlan taking on Atletico Madrid. Both teams are tough to beat defensively and are likely to set up that way when they face each other. Inter will probably be the favourites as they reached the final last season and are currently top of Serie A.
Napoli against Barcelona could be a close game as both sides have good players on paper. Both teams aren't having their best season in their respective leagues, but I think Barcelona will be the favourites as Napoli could still lose Victor Oshimen in January. Barca also have more in quality when you look at the two squads on paper.
Bayern Munich and Real Madrid both have very winnable ties with Bayern facing Lazio and Real taking on RB Leipzig. Both sides will be among the favourites to win the competition and should have more than enough to beat the sides they face in the next round.
Other ties include PSG facing Real Sociedad and Borussia Dortmund taking on PSV. PSG do have a history of going out at this stage of the competition, but I still think they'll be favourites against Sociedad with the quality of players they have. Dortmund meanwhile should be favourites in their tie against PSV as they arguably have more expereince in this competition and especially in the knockouts. But PSV will still fancy themselves as they're flying high in the Dutch Eredivisie.
FULL LAST 16 DRAW:
Porto v Arsenal
Napoli v Barcelona
PSG v Real Sociedad
Inter Milan v Atletico Madrid
PSV v Borussia Dortmund
Lazio v Bayern Munich
Copenhagen v Man City
RB Leipzig v Real Madrid
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