Barça and Real Madrid Discover Opponents in Champions League Elimination Stage
Excitement filled the air as Spanish soccer heavyweights FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid discovered their foes for the Champions League knockout phase. The draw, held midday Europe time on Friday, left no doubt about their upcoming challenges.
Barcelona, a five-time champion, found itself up against either Paris Saint-Germain or Benfica. With fond memories of a thrilling 5-4 comeback victory away at Benfica in January, Barca may draw confidence from this past encounter.
Real Madrid overcame Manchester City in the playoffs, earning a 3-2 win in the first leg at the Etihad, and a 3-1 victory, with Kylian Mbappe's hat trick, in the second. With a 6-2 aggregate score, Real went on to face either Atletico Madrid or Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen in the next round. As suggested by the draw, Real will square off against Atletico, rekindling memories of 2014 and 2016 finals.
The battle for the quarterfinals will commence on March 4 and 5, with the return legs following on March 11 and 12. Barcelona starts by visiting Lisbon's Estadio da Luz, followed by a tense home rematch at Montjuic. Should they triumph, they may face Borussia Dortmund or Lille in the quarters and Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Feyenoord, or Inter Milan in the semis.
Madrid welcomes an Atletico Madrid challenge at home in its first leg. A successful derby could see Madrid compete against PSV Eindhoven or Arsenal in the quarterfinals. Overcoming this challenge, Madrid could potentially meet Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, Club Brugge, or Aston Villa in the semis.
In the domestic La Liga title race, Barcelona trails second-place Madrid by only goal difference. Atletico Madrid is in third, separated by a single point. In the Copa del Rey semifinals, Atletico battles Real Sociedad, while Barcelona and Atletico engage in a fierce battle for a spot in the final.
Additional Insights
The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League group phase saw top eight teams; FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid, qualify directly for the knockout phase, bypassing the playoffs. Teams finishing ninth to 24th in the group phase fought their way through knockout phase play-offs to determine the remaining spots in the round of 16.
Sources
- UEFA.com, "Champions League: Round of 16 draw and knockout schedule revealed"
- Sky Sports, "Champions League draw 2024: Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid learn Round of 16 opponents"
- ABC News, "Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atlético Madrid to meet in Champions League knockout phase"
- The Guardian, "Champions League draw in full: matches, dates, times and live coverage"
- Sky Sports, "Champions League play-off draw: Man City vs Real Madrid, Celtic vs Bayern Munich"
- Kylian Mbappe's performances in the Champions League have been eagerly awaited by Real Madrid fans, as they prepare to face Atletico Madrid in the knockout phase.
- Hansi Flick, the manager of Bayer Leverkusen, has his work cut out for him as they prepare to face either Atletico Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
- Diego Simeone, the manager of Atletico Madrid, is no stranger to the challenges of the Champions League, having guided his team to the final multiple times.
- Barcelona's excitement at the prospect of facing either Paris Saint-Germain or Benfica in the Champions League knockout phase was muted by the memory of their recent defeat to Benfica in the f6610c063a241262c07478c35e0adbee round.
- Bayer Leverkusen will have to rise to the occasion if they are to overcome Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, just like they did in the domestic German Bundesliga.
- Fans of Benfica will be hoping for a repeat of their thrilling 5-4 comeback victory over Barcelona, which took place in January 2024.
- DNL analysts predict that Barcelona may have an easier time in the Champions League knockout phase if they avoid a rematch with Atletico Madrid or Real Madrid, who they have struggled against in recent years.
