The UEFA Champions League is one of the most prestigious and watched competitions in the world. 32 teams will be vying for the ultimate European club trophy, with only one winner at the end of it.
The group stage has already ended, with so many exciting matchups yielding great score lines and providing much excitement to fans all around the world. It was also the last time we would see it, as the tournament will undergo huge changes from next season onwards. And now it is time for the knockout stages, with the fixtures already announced.
UEFA Champions League round of 16 matches
The Round of 16 stage has been set, with 16 teams that have qualified from the group stage ready to battle it out. 8 matchups have been fixed, with the dates announced as well.
The group champions from the previous stage include Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Arsenal, Real Sociedad, Atletico Madrid, and Borussia Dortmund. The runners-up include Porto, Paris Saint-Germain, PSV Eindhoven, Inter Milan, RB Leipzig, FC Copenhagen, Lazio, and Napoli. The runners-up will have the opportunity to host the group champions in the first match.
In the first round of 16 matchup, the defending UEFA Champions League winners, Manchester City, will be facing F.C. Copenhagen. The Citizens are expected to have an easy fixture, although the latter team overcame great odds in their group stage. The first match is scheduled to take place in Copenhagen on February 14, with the reverse fixture set to be held at the Etihad on March 7.
RB Leipzig will host 14-time winners Real Madrid on February 14, and the next match at the Santiago Bernabeu will be held on March 7.
Round of 16 ties âś…#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/N3xvSSNw1w
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 18, 2023
Paris Saint-Germain will host Real Sociedad, while Lazio will face Bayern Munich on February 15, with the next fixtures on March 6.
PSV Eindhoven and Inter Milan will host Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid, respectively, on February 21st, and the away fixtures will be on March 14.
Porto face Arsenal while Seria A champions Napoli take on La Liga champions Barcelona on February 22, with the reverse fixtures on March 13.
UEFA Europa League knockout matches
While the UEFA Champions League is widely regarded as the top competition, the UEFA Europa League has also gained significant viewership in recent times. As usual, the teams that finished third in their group stages of the UEFA Champions League will move on to the competition. They will participate in a playoff draw against the second-place teams from their respective Europa League groups.
Knockout round play-off ties are set! 🤩#UELdraw || #UEL pic.twitter.com/jRDSob63rz
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) December 18, 2023
The teams dropping out of the Champions League include AC Milan, Galatasaray, Shakhtar Donetsk, Feyenoord, Braga, Benfica, Young Boys, and RC Lens. The first leg of the play-off fixtures will be hosted by them. The teams that finished second are Rennes, Sparta Praha, Marseille, Roma, Qarabag FK, Toulouse, Sporting CP, and SC Frieburg.
AC Milan is set to take on Rennes, Galatasaray will be facing Sparta Praha, Shakhtar Donetsk will go up against Marseille, and Feyenoord will be matched up against Roma. Braga and Benfica are set to play against Qarabag FK and Toulouse, while Young Boys and RC Lens will be up against Sporting CP and SC Freiburg. The first set of matches will take place on February 15th, followed by the second set on February 22nd.
The upcoming fixtures for both the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League are highly anticipated by fans, who are already excited to watch them in the coming year.
