Barcelona will face Paris Saint Germain and former striker Neymar while title holder Bayern Munich are up against Italy’s Lazio in the last 16 of the Champions League after Uefa’s draw was held Monday.
The clash of Lionel Messi and Barca with last year’s runners-up PSG is a repeat of their remarkable meeting at the same stage in 2017 when Barca overcame a 4-0 first leg loss to beat the French club 6-1 in Spain with Neymar scoring twice for the Catalans.
Bayern will start as favorite in their tie but will be wary of Simone Inzaghi’s Lazio team who have reached this stage for the first time in 20 years.
Premier League champion Liverpool will play last year’s semi-finalist RB Leipzig creating a match-up between Germany’s most highly rated young coach Julian Nagelsmann of Leipzig with Liverpool’s Juergen Klopp, the country’s No 1 coach.
Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 10 matches against German teams in all European competition, a run going back to 2002.
FC Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman believes his side are not among the favorites to win this season’s UEFA Champions League with the Catalans having made a stuttering start to the new season.
Posted by Sports Tribune on Monday, 19 October 2020
Established 13-time European champion Real Madrid face Serie A club Atalanta, who reached the quarter-final in their first Champions League campaign last season.
Real have won 10 of their last 11 games with Italian clubs.
Atletico Madrid will face Chelsea in a game which could include the return of striker Diego Costa to Stamford Bridge.
Manchester City will take on Borussia Moenchengladbach, who are in the last 16 for the first time in the Champions League era.
Italian champion Juventus will face Porto, a game where Cristiano Ronaldo will return to his homeland Portugal.
The two legged ties will be played from Feb. 16.
