Mueez Ajao
– Manchester United have been drawn against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League round of 16 with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi set for another showdown clash.
– Ronaldo and Messi faced each other in the Champions League group stage last season with the Portugal international scoring twice as Juventus secured a 3-0 win at Barcelona.
– Both clubs faced each other at the same stage of the 2018-19 campaign where United progressed to the quarterfinals after a stunning late comeback at the Parc de Princes.
Also Read: Messi makes history with 7th Ballon d’Or
– PSG avenged their elimination last season when they secured a 3-1 win at Old Trafford as United were knocked out of the competition during the group stages.
– Ronaldo is seeking to win his sixth Champions League trophy and his second at United while Messi has won the competition four times.
– Messi also picked up a record-seventh Ballon d’Or trophy last month while Ronaldo has won the award five times during his career.
– Group winners will be away in the first leg, with ties to be played on Feb. 15, 16 and 22, 23. Return legs will be played on March 8, 9 and 15, 16.
– The away goals rule has also been abolished in European tournament knockout ties this season.
– The rule, which had been in place since 1965, was used to determine a winner when teams were level on aggregate after a two-legged match. The team that had scored more goals as the away side were awarded the victory. But from now, this will be replaced by extra time and penalties.
– UEFA will draw the quarterfinal and semifinal ties on the same day for this season, scheduled for March 18.
– The final will take place on Saturday, May 28 at Krestovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Champions League Round 16 draw:
Benfica vs. Real Madrid
Villarreal vs. Manchester City
Atletico Madrid vs. Bayern Munich
FC Salzburg vs. Liverpool
Inter Milan vs. Ajax
Sporting CP vs. Juventus
Chelsea vs. Lille
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Manchester United
