NYON, Switzerland (AP) — Three high-stakes clashes between English and Spanish clubs will enliven the Champions League round of 16, as Friday’s draw delivered one fixture that fans have grown accustomed to: Manchester City versus Real Madrid.
It will mark the fifth straight year in which Madrid — Europe’s 15-time champion — and City meet in the knockout rounds, and they even clashed again in December during the group stage. The winner could meet Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals.
“It’s curious that every season we end up playing against them,” Real Madrid’s director of institutional relations, Emilio Butragueño, said. “Fans are going to really enjoy it, because these are always games full of attacking football, two teams that want to control the match, usually with plenty of goals—one of the best matches you can watch in the world.”
Bodø/Glimt’s remarkable Champions League run will set up Sporting CP as the next visitor to the Arctic Circle next month.
Manchester City’s 3-1 defeat in the Norwegian fishing town last month catalyzed Bodø/Glimt’s four-match winning streak in the competition, all of them during Norway’s preseason. They have just eliminated Inter Milan in the playoffs.
“We’ve been able to learn,” said Bodø/Glimt chief executive Frode Thomassen about a side that failed to win any of its six Champions League matches from September to December.
Thomassen laughed at the notion that his in-form club could now be the favorite to advance. “I think we’ll be the underdog if we play against anyone,” he said.
Bodø/Glimt is the first Norwegian side to reach this far in Europe’s premier competition since the 1996-97 season. Back then, Rosenborg advanced from the 16-team group stage directly to the quarterfinals.
The first legs will be played on March 10 and 11, with the return fixtures a week later.
Club World Cup Rematch
Defending champion Paris Saint-Germain was drawn against Chelsea, a rematch of July’s Club World Cup final that the London club won 3-0 at MetLife Stadium near New York.
At that time, Chelsea was led by Enzo Maresca, who was dismissed on January 1 and replaced by Liam Rosenior.
As Strasbourg boss in Ligue 1, Rosenior faced Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes this season and earned a 3-3 draw in October.
The winner will face in the quarterfinals either Galatasaray or Liverpool, whom PSG knocked out of the Round of 16 last year on its way to its first Champions League title.
Galatasaray beat Liverpool 1-0 in the group stage in September, a result that helped plunge the defending English champions into a two-month slump.
Spain vs. England
Real Madrid vs. Manchester City is one of three Spain-versus-England matchups in the Round of 16 and comes about three months after Guardiola’s side beat Madrid 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu. A penalty converted by Erling Haaland proved decisive just before the break.
“We already had a really good game,” City’s sporting director, Hugo Viana, said, adding: “There is no favorite in this kind of competition, in these kinds of matches.”
Madrid has eliminated City in three of the last four editions. City reached the semifinals in 2023.
One portion of the draw is entirely Spain vs. England. Barcelona will face Newcastle, and Atlético Madrid will take on Tottenham, with the victors meeting next month in the quarterfinals.
Tough Half of the Draw
Bayern Munich were drawn with Atalanta, the last remaining Italian side in the competition, and Arsenal will face Bayer Leverkusen. The winner of Arsenal–Leverkusen will meet Bodø/Glimt or Sporting in the quarterfinals.
Friday’s draw set the bracket up to crown a champion on May 30 at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest.
Real Madrid and Barcelona cannot meet before the final, nor can Arsenal and City, who are both chasing the Premier League crown.
One half of the bracket includes PSG, Liverpool, Real Madrid, City and Bayern Munich. Only one of those teams can reach Budapest.
