Home football Champions Man City meet Copenhagen as Arsenal to face FC Porto in...

Champions Man City meet Copenhagen as Arsenal to face FC Porto in UEFA Champions League last 16

167
0

Manchester City have been drawn against Copenhagen in the last 16 of the Champions League, while Arsenal meet will meet Portuguese giants Porto.

The reigning champions cruised through Group G with a perfect record of 18 points from six matches and have been handed a relatively kind draw for the last 16 against the Group A runners-up.

Copenhagen pipped Galatasaray and Manchester United to second place in their section and will host Man City in the first leg before travelling to the Etihad for the reverse fixture one week later in February.

The two clubs will be reuniting in the knockout phase after squaring up to one another in last year’s group stage, where Pep Guardiola’s side ran out 5-0 winners at home before being held to a goalless draw in Scandinavia.

Man City were one of just two English teams to make it to the last 16, where Arsenal were the second name out of the pot in Monday’s draw, and the Gunners will be meeting Porto in their first top-level European knockout clash in seven years.

Mikel Arteta’s troops saw off Lens, PSV Eindhoven and Sevilla to finish at the summit of Group A with 13 points from a possible 18, while Porto missed out on first place in Group H to Barcelona on account of their inferior head-to-head record.

As well as locking horns in the 2006-07 and 2008-09 group stage, Arsenal and Porto were last drawn against one another in the 2009-10 last 16, where the Gunners lost 2-1 in Portugal before a dominant 5-0 win at the Emirates to advance to the last eight.

Elsewhere, last year’s beaten finalists Inter Milan – who placed second in Group D – face an intriguing contest with Group E winners Atletico Madrid, whom they lost to 2-0 in the 2010 UEFA Super Cup.

Fourteen-time winners Real Madrid – who also won all six of their group games – have been drawn to face RB Leipzig, reuniting with the German giants after both sides won one match apiece in the 2022-23 group phase.

Leipzig’s fellow Bundesliga representatives Bayern Munich will be meeting Lazio, whom they crushed 6-2 on aggregate in the 2020-21 last 16 in the only previous competitive meetings between the two clubs.

Barcelona’s reward for topping Group H is a two-legged showdown with Italian champions Napoli, who have never beaten the Blaugrana in four previous attempts, most recently being knocked out of the 2021-22 Europa League knockout round playoffs by Xavi’s side.

Finally, Paris Saint-Germain will be facing Real Sociedad for the first time in a competitive setting, while PSV Eindhoven and Borussia Dortmund will reunite 21 years on from their inaugural two contests in the 2002-03 group stage.

The first legs of the last 16 will take place between the 13th and 14th of February before the return fixtures are played on the 20th and 21st of the same month.

The draw for the Europa League knockout play-off round, which featured the eight group runners-up plus eight teams dropping down from the Champions League, was also made.

Brighton, Liverpool, West Ham and Rangers were not involved, having all topped their groups and progressed straight through to the last 16.

Galatasaray, who edged out Manchester United to take third in their Champions League group, will face Sparta Prague, with AC Milan, who finished above Newcastle, facing Rennes. Other notable ties were Feyenoord v Roma and Shakhtar Donetsk v Marseille.

Ajax were drawn against Norwegian outfit Bodo/Glimt in one of the standout ties in the Europa Conference League knockout play-off round, with Eintracht Frankfurt facing Belgian league leaders Union Saint-Gilloise. Aston Villa did not feature in the draw having already secured their last-16 place.

Champions League last-16 draw in full

  • FC Porto v Arsenal
  • Napoli v Barcelona
  • Paris St-Germain v Real Sociedad
  • Inter Milan v Atletico Madrid
  • PSV Eindhoven v Borussia Dortmund
  • Lazio v Bayern Munich
  • FC Copenhagen v Manchester City
  • RB Leipzig v Real Madrid
Previous articleSave for Health Uganda expresses need to educate people about Health Insurance. Want to initiate Community Health Insurance Scheme in Urban areas
Next articleCriminal gang leader Paddy Sserunjogi (Sobi) beaten to death – Police Confirms