The UEFA Champions League 21/22 Round of 16 draw recently took place and whilst there were some rather nice and intriguing fixtures for football fans to sink their teeth into, that was hardly the biggest story from the whole process on that day.
Indeed, the major incident that took place in Monday’s draw was the fact that a ‘technical error‘ had been encountered by UEFA as they were doing the draw, which saw proceedings become a little confusing for everyone that was involved. At least they can ensure they avoid any ‘technical errors’ when they use spin casino NZ and use the casino bonuses that can be found there to enjoy a top user experience!
Anyway, with the draw providing a little more saga and anticipation than it normally does, it was rescheduled to take place a little later that afternoon. It was conducted as successfully as it traditionally is and provided the following break down including the dates in which each encounter will be played:
15 February & 9 March
Sporting CP (POR) vs Manchester City (ENG)
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) vs Real Madrid (ESP)
16 February & 8 March
Salzburg (AUT) vs Bayern (GER)
Inter (ITA) vs Liverpool (ENG)
22 February & 16 March
Chelsea (ENG) vs LOSC Lille (FRA)
Villarreal (ESP) vs Juventus (ITA)
23 February & 15 March
Benfica (POR) vs Ajax (NED)
Atlético (ESP) vs Manchester United (ENG)
Of course, perhaps the most interesting of encounters to have been created is the one between PSG and Real Madrid, as the game will see Lionel Messi go up against a team that he has faced throughout every season of his career to date, whilst Sergio Ramos and Keylor Navas, as well as Angel Di Maria will go up against the team that they once played for.
Additionally, the contest between Inter and Liverpool will be rather intriguing as both sides are well-matched, whereas the match between Atlético Madrid and Manchester United will also be one that will have many watching in anticipation.
The current holders of the competition, Chelsea, have arguably ended up rather fortunate with their Round of 16 opponents, as they missed out on a number of strong teams after finishing second in their group. Of course, that is not to provide any disrespect to Lille, as the French outfit are certainly capable of causing damage as they proved to everyone last year when they won Ligue 1. Coincedently, Lille were the team that the Blues drew in the first botched draw, as well.
Nonetheless, the two teams did meet in the 2019/20 edition of the UEFA Champions League in the Group Stage, with the Blues defeating the French side twice 2-1.
