The lineup of the teams featuring in the Round of 16 for the UEFA Champions League is on predicted lines, with Liverpool being the only bigwig that would be ruing the missed opportunity. What lies in store are some mouth watering clashes to watch out for, let’s quickly analyze the top five fixtures and what lies in store for all the football faithful around the world:
Manchester City Vs Barcelona (24th February and 18th March)
This is undisputedly the most anticipated fixture of the Round of 16. Manchester City made a miraculous entry to the knock out phase with the help of their talisman Sergio Aguero and the Argentine on the other side has started to hit top form too. It is only a matter of time before Messi stamps his authority, which somewhat is overshadowed by Ronaldo these days and rightly so. Manchester City will hope that their top strikers will be back in time for the high voltage affair, however even with all the strike force in its kitty is it possible to send Barcelona packing? It certainly is.
Paris St. Germain Vs Chelsea (17th February and 11th March)
Chelsea has been as clinical in Champions League as they have been in the premier league, they were in an easier group in comparison to their Round of 16 competitors but the fixture ahead is not going to be easy by any stretch of imagination. This tie is also the repeat of last season’s Quarter Final leg in which Chelsea prevailed on an away goal. Chelsea’s only win against a Ligue 1 opponent was in Jose Mourinho first European game against PSG way back in 2004. It will be a tough tie but on current form Chelsea may prevail, but a certain Zlatan Ibrahimovic might have a different take on that!
Schalke Vs Real Madrid (18th February and 10th March)
They are breaking records with every passing game, Cristiano Ronaldo cannot stop scoring but he would a bit unhappy with his 5 goal tally in the group stages and would like to increase his tally. Such is the prowess and brutal force of Real Madrid that they look unstoppable. Schalke would still be reeling under the 9-2 aggregate loss to Real Madrid in the last campaign and it will take a monumental effort for the Roberto Di Mattio’s team to go through.
Shakhtar Donetsk Vs Bayern Munchen (17th February and 11th March)
Bayern Munchen was in the toughest group in the league stage, but Pep Guardiola’s men ensured that they didn’t switch off at any given time. They have a run going in Bundesliga as well and after the slow start to the season they are firing all cylinders. With the strike force at disposal Bayern is right up there with Real Madrid as one of the best teams on current form, no disrespect to Shakhtar but they will have to pull something out of the blue to stop the Bavarian giants.
Juventus Vs Borussia Dortmund (24th February and 18th March)
We would like to believe that Jurgen Klop puts a different team on display in Europe as his side breezed though the group stage. However if the Germans do not pick up their league standings by February, it might be the end of the road for them in Europe too. The team from Turin is certainly capable of giving any team a run for their money and it may not be a surprise if they go through on Dortmund’s expense.
In the remaining matches it is likely that Arsenal will take the honors against French side AS Monaco, the fixture will also be a homecoming of sorts for Arsene Wenger as he spent seven years as the AS Monaco’s Manager before joining Arsenal, while Porto is tipped to beat Basel and Atletico Madrid is also likely to make the cut for the quarter final stages.
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