Manchester City got a kind draw for the round of 16 in the Champions League. Paris Saint-Germain’s opponent could have been much tougher, too.
City will continue its title defense against Copenhagen, which is making its first appearance at this stage since 2011. The Danish champion qualified ahead of Manchester United in group play.
Paris Saint-Germain wasn’t punished as hard as it could have been for finishing second in its group. The French champion, still without a Champions League title under its Qatari ownership and eliminated in the last 16 for the past two years, will face a Real Sociedad team playing in Europe’s top competition for the first time in a decade.
The draw for the two-legged round of 16 was made Monday at UEFA’s headquarters, with the standout matchup being Napoli vs. Barcelona — two of the late Diego Maradona’s former clubs. Barcelona hasn’t advanced beyond the round of 16 since the 2019-20 season.
Real Madrid, seeking a record-extending 15th European Cup title, will play Leipzig while Inter Milan, last season’s beaten finalist and another high-profile group runner-up, plays Atletico Madrid.
It’s also Porto vs. Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven vs. Borussia Dortmund and Lazio vs. Bayern Munich.
In the last 16, teams cannot play an opponent from their own country or a team they already faced in the group stage. There’s no country protection after that.
The round of 16 will be played from Feb. 13-14.
(Source: AP News)
