UEFA Champions League Round: The Champions League Round of 16 draw, conducted at the UEFA's House of European Football here on Friday, was headlined by two heavyweight domestic clashes as Real Madrid will face neighbours Atletico Madrid and German giants Bayern Munich take on defending Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen. The first leg matches are set to take place on March 4 and 5 with the return leg slated to be played on March 11 and 12.
England's league leaders Liverpool will face Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain. PSG, who finished 15th in the league phase, progressed to the Round of 16 by overcoming Brest 10-0 on aggregate in a knockout round play-off. The first leg is set will be played at Parc des Princes and the return fixture at Anfield.
Arsenal and Aston Villa were handed favourable draws in the next round in PSV and Club Brugge respectively but the English sides will be facing a tough road to the final.
Not only did the 16 remaining teams discover their opponents in the next round, but they also discovered the path they needed to take if they were to secure a spot in the final in Munich.
Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Arsenal, PSV, Liverpool, PSG, Club Brugge, and Aston Villa have been drawn on the same side of the bracket while FC Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Benfica, Lille, Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Feyenoord, and Inter Milan will be in the other half.
Round of 16 fixtures:
PSV vs Arsenal
Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid
Paris vs Liverpool
Club Brugge vs Aston Villa
Benfica vs Barcelona
Borussia Dortmund vs Lille
Bayern Munchen vs Leverkusen
Feyenoord vs Inter
UCL quarterfinal matchups:
PSV/Arsenal vs Real Madrid/Atletico
Paris/Liverpool vs Club Brugge/Aston Villa
Benfica/Barcelona vs Dortmund/Lille
Bayern/Leverkusen vs Feyenoord/Inter
UCL semifinal matchups:
Champions League semifinal ties
PSV/Arsenal/Real Madrid/Atleti vs Paris/Liverpool/Club Brugge/Aston Villa
Champions League semifinal ties
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Article Source: IANS