For the 12th consecutive year, Paris Saint-Germain will be featured in the knockout phase of the Champions League. PSG will face Real Sociedad in the 1/8 finals, a lenient draw for players from the capital.
PSG will face Real Sociedad in the round of 16 of the Champions League, an a priori favorable draw, while the main poster will pit Inter Milan, finalist of the last edition, against Atletico Madrid, according to the draw carried out on Monday in Nyon, at UEFA headquarters. The first legs are scheduled for February 13, 14, 20 and 21, the returns on March 5, 6, 12 and 13.
A lenient draw
Second in its group after a very sluggish group stage, PSG is doing very well by inheriting the weakest opponent on paper from hat 1. Even if the French champions, qualified for the 12th time At this stage of the competition, they will have to travel to San Sebastián on their return, the task seems well within the reach of Kylian Mbappé’s teammates, eliminated in the round of 16 during the last two seasons.
Round of 16 ties ✅#UCLdrawpic.twitter.com/N3xvSSNw1w
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 18, 2023
However, we will have to be wary of the Spaniards, the best defense in the group stage. The duel between Inter and Atletico will be the main shock with a clash between the two French internationals Marcus Thuram (Inter) and Antoine Griezmann (Atletico). Manchester City, the defending champion, will have a seemingly easy round of 16 against Copenhagen while for Arsenal and FC Barcelona, it will be necessary to be wary respectively of FC Porto and Naples, reigning Italian champion and present in the quarterfinals. Champions League final in 2022-2023. Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, other big favorites, will challenge Leipzig and Lazio Rome. Finally, the most open round of 16 will be played between PSV Eindhoven and Borussia Dortmund.