Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid clash at the Bernabeu
Flashpoints and flair are to be expected in the pick of the Champions League last-16 ties, as bitterest foes Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid meet at the Bernabeu in Tuesday’s first leg.
While Carlo Ancelotti‘s champions needed to eliminate Manchester City from the playoffs just to make it this far, their red and white foes finished in the top five of the league phase table.
A record-extending 16th top-level continental crown remains firmly within Real Madrid’s sights, even if they have taken the scenic route to advance to the last 16, being punished for their failure to qualify directly with a daunting playoff tie against 2023 winners Manchester City.
However, the grandmaster Ancelotti outwitted Pep Guardiola over two legs once again, overseeing a dramatic 3-2 Etihad success before Real rubber-stamped their progression with a 3-1 second-leg triumph courtesy of a hat-trick from the electrifying Kylian Mbappe.
Now unbeaten in nine successive knockout matches in the Champions League – a streak that includes their run to Wembley glory last year – Los Blancos are taking on a Spanish foe for the 12th time in the European Cup knockout phase, and only two of their previous 11 such encounters have seen them eliminated.
The reigning European champions at least have a stellar Bernabeu record to fall back on, prevailing in eight and drawing one of their last nine matches in front of the home faithful, although there are no prizes for guessing who that solitary stalemate came against.
Each of Atletico’s three away knockout games in the 2023-24 Champions League ended in defeat – their longest losing run on the road at this stage of Europe’s top tournament since 1971 – and Real Madrid are a perfect 5-0 when it comes to knockout ties with their city rivals in the UCL.
Atletico’s defence may have held out against Athletic, but Simeone’s men will be all too aware that they rode their luck countless times, and Jan Oblak‘s goal will surely be breached at the Bernabeu.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven welcome Arsenal
Clashing in European competition for the third year running, Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven and Premier League powerhouses Arsenal meet at the Philips Stadion on Tuesday for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
Mikel Arteta‘s men earned a direct route to this stage courtesy of a third-placed league phase finish, while their Eredivisie counterparts ended Juventus’ hopes of continental glory in the knockout round playoffs.
Mikel Merino‘s heroic double against Leicester City already feels an age ago, as the Gunners have since failed to score in back-to-back games for the first time in nearly two years, going down to West Ham United before a frustrating goalless affair away to Nottingham Forest.
As Liverpool ride off into the Premier League sunset – now 13 points clear at the summit of the standings – a striker-starved Arsenal will surely soon shift their focus to consolidating a top-four place while trying to defy their attacking absences in Europe, where their league phase displays saw optimism boom.
Arsenal’s rearguard excellence is a stark contrast to a PSV side who have only kept one clean sheet in their 10 Champions League engagements so far this season.
As toothless as Arsenal may be up front right now, the Gunners are facing a PSV side who have been shipping goals at an alarming rate and may just need one set-piece to breach the hosts’ backline.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Borussia Dortmund, Lille square off in the first leg
Fighting for the right to potentially meet Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals, Borussia Dortmund and Lille square off in the first leg of their last-16 battle at the Signal Iduna Park on Tuesday night.
Last season’s beaten finalists progressed past Sporting Lisbon in the knockout round playoffs to earn a date with Les Dogues, who sneaked into the top eight of the league-phase table.
The damage was well and truly done in the first leg of Sporting and Borussia Dortmund’s Champions League playoff tie, as a dominant 3-0 win for the German giants meant that the 2023-24 runners-up simply needed to avoid a home implosion to seal safe passage into the last 16.
A dull 0-0 draw in the return fixture suited BVB down to the ground as they made the last 16 for the sixth time in their last seven appearances in the Champions League, which has often provided a safe haven this season amid their prolonged Bundesliga struggles.
Hoping to prolong the home woes of a Dortmund side who have only won two of their last nine competitive contests at the Signal Iduna Park, Lille have their sights set on club history over these two legs, having never progressed further than the last-16 stage of the Champions League.
The battle for attacking supremacy between the equally red-hot David and Guirassy is sure to be a fascinating one, albeit one that the latter’s side should come up trumps in.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Club Brugge and Aston Villa clash for the second time
Meeting for a second time in this season’s Champions League, Club Brugge and Aston Villa will clash at Jan Breydelstadion on Tuesday evening, in the first leg of their last-16 tie.
Either Liverpool or Paris Saint-Germain will await the winners in the quarter-finals, after the pair convene in Bruges and in Birmingham.
European Cup runners-up back in 1978, Club Brugge are making a rare venture into the Champions League’s knockout rounds – only their second to date – after squeezing through the league phase before enjoying a memorable playoff success.
Beaten by Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan during the first three rounds, the Blauw-Zwart bounced back by beating Aston Villa and ultimately made the top 24 on goal difference, despite a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City on the last matchday.
Not only are Club Brugge tough to beat on home turf, but Aston Villa are generally a much weaker team on their travels.
With several forwards in form, though, the English side should score on their second trip to Bruges in the space of four months, keeping them in contention ahead of next week’s return.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Fixtures
Real Madrid 20:00 Atlético Madrid
The post Today’s UEFA Champions League Last 16 Fixtures & Previews appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.
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