Uefa needed two draws to define the Champions League round of 16 clashes. The entity made a mistake in the first definition, annulled it and redone the crossings between the teams this Monday (13).
The match that will attract the most attention will be between Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid. Lionel Messi, current forward for the French team, will be reunited with his greatest rival from the time he played for Barcelona. He will also cross paths with Brazilian Vinicius Júnior, a standout from the Spaniards.
Other standout matches will be between Internazionale (ITA) vs Liverpool (ING) and Atlético Madrid (ESP) vs Manchester United (ING).
Uefa decided to cancel and redraw the draw because the ball bearing Manchester United’s name was not put back in the pot after it was incorrectly withdrawn for a match against Villarreal. The two teams could not face each other as they had already shared the same bracket in the tournament’s group stage.
Atletico Madrid, who could face the English and was drawn to play against Bayern, complained about the failure, which was recognized by Uefa.
In the first draw, Manchester United was drawn to play against Paris Saint-Germain, which would mean the clash between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
“Following a technical problem with the software of an external service provider that indicates to those responsible for the draw which teams are eligible to play against each other, a material error occurred in the draw,” said Uefa. “As a result, the draw was declared void and will be completely redone.”
The first leg of the round of 16 will be held on the 15th, 16th, 22nd and 23rd of February — still without the exact dates defined. The ones back, on the 8th, 9, 15th and 16th of March.
A novelty in this edition of Champions is that goals scored away from home will no longer be used as a tiebreaker criterion.
Switching from the quarterfinals onwards has not yet been defined. The decision, in St. Petersburg (Russia), is scheduled for the 28th of May.
See the Champions League round of 16 clashes below
Salzburg (AUT) x Bayern Munique (ALE)
Sporting (POR) x Manchester City (ING)
Benfica (POR) x Ajax (HOL)
Chelsea (ING) x Lille (FRA)
Atlético de Madrid (ESP) x Manchester United (ING)
Villarreal (ESP) x Juventus (ITA)
International (ITA) x Liverpool (ING)
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) x Real Madrid (ESP)
.
I have worked in the news industry for over 10 years. I have a vast amount of experience in covering health news. I am also an author at News Bulletin 247. I am highly experienced and knowledgeable in this field. I am a hard worker and always deliver quality work. I am a reliable source of information and always provide accurate information.
