After a group stage rich in twists and turns, the final part of the Champions League is announced. And Monday, December 13, the two French clubs in the running, Lille and Paris Saint-Germain, discovered the team they will face in the round of 16: Chelsea for the reigning French champion, and Manchester United for Parisians.
Second in their group, behind Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain knew they would get hit with a hell of an opponent. Between Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Ajax Amsterdam, Real Madrid, Manchester United or Juventus Turin, the capital club had no choice but to prepare for a shock – all its potential opponents having won in at least twice the competition. And the draw on Monday put Manchester United on the road to Kylian Mbappé’s teammates. And Lionel Messi will find Cristiano Ronaldo.
Lille, for its part, finished at the top of Group G, after a whirlwind end of the campaign (three wins in a row). And with the exception of Chelsea, the outgoing winner of the competition, the Northern club knew that they risked heading south, between Atlético de Madrid, Inter Milan, Villareal or the two Lisbon clubs, Sporting Portugal and the third Benfica Lisbon. UEFA balls have reserved Chelsea at the Mastiffs, for the second round of 16 in their history.
- The entire draw:
Benfica Lisbon – Real Madrid
Villareal – Manchester City
Atlético de Madrid – Bayern Munich
Salzburg – Liverpool
Inter Milan – Ajax Amsterdam
Sporting Portugal – Juventus Turin
Chelsea – Lille
PSG – Manchester United
The round of 16 first leg will be played over two weeks, on February 15 and 16, then on February 22 and 23, 2022; and the eighth return will be played on March 8 and 9, then on March 15 and 16, 2022.