The Champions League draw for the spherical of 16 is confirmed—for actual, this time—with Atlético Madrid doubtless feeling a bit higher about its prospects of reaching the quarterfinals, whereas Real Madrid and Liverpool are usually not going to be too thrilled with how the redo broke.
The unique draw was nullified after an error that originally noticed Manchester United paired with Villarreal despite the fact that they had been in the identical group after which United’s ball excluded from Atlético Madrid’s pool of potential opponents.
UEFA claimed after the preliminary draw that there was “a technical drawback with the software program of an exterior service supplier that instructs the officers as to which groups are eligible to play one another.”
Consequently, the draw was voided and compelled to be redone a couple of hours later. The unique pairings had been: Benfica vs. Real Madrid, Villarreal vs. Man Metropolis, Atlético Madrid vs. Bayern Munich, Salzburg vs. Liverpool, Inter Milan vs. Ajax, Sporting CP vs. Juventus, Chelsea vs. Lille and PSG vs. Manchester United, with the final one seemingly establishing one other Champions League showdown between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The redo solely yielded one of many identical pairings, with defending champion Chelsea once more being drawn vs. Ligue 1 champion Lille—a matchup that pits U.S. wingers Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah in opposition to each other.
The opposite seven are: Salzburg vs. Bayern Munich, Sporting vs. Man Metropolis, Benfica vs. Ajax, Atlético Madrid vs. Manchester United, Villarreal vs. Juventus, Inter Milan vs. Liverpool and PSG vs. Real Madrid.
Which means Real Madrid went from doubtlessly dealing with Benfica to drawing the star-powered juggernaut of PSG in a tie that’s laced with subplots. There’s the Kylian Mbappé component, with the French star extensively anticipated to depart Paris for Madrid without cost in the summertime after the Spanish energy’s makes an attempt to safe him for a price this summer season. And there is the Tremendous League backdrop, with PSG resisting the efforts spearheaded by Real Madrid president Floréntino Perez to affix the (finally failed) breakaway effort and PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi rising to higher energy throughout the European Membership Affiliation.
There’s additionally Messi’s return to Spain, the place he performed his total professional profession earlier than the surprising and compelled summer season transfer to PSG amid Barcelona’s monetary disaster, and Sergio Ramos’s return to Madrid, with the veteran middle again now among the many stars in Paris after his longtime run as Real’s captain.
Liverpool, in the meantime, went from having a extra closely favorable matchup vs. Salzburg to touchdown a extra harmful Inter Milan facet, whereas Atléti will certainly be extra welcoming of a pairing with Manchester United—Ronaldo’s in depth historical past in opposition to the membership however—fairly than touchdown a extra explosive and threatening Bayern facet.
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