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Champions League: German clubs get hammer lots

The European football union Uefa has drawn lots for the round of 16 in the men’s Champions League. And the German clubs will face some tough opponents.

Bayern Munich will face the French star club Paris Saint Germain, Borussia Dortmund will have to face Chelsea FC, RB Leipzig will play Manchester City with Pep Guardiola and Eintracht Frankfurt will face the currently outstanding Serie A leaders, SSC Napoli.

“A treat for every football fan “

The matches will not be played until next year. The first legs of the first knockout round on the way to the final in Istanbul on 13 June will be played on 14 and 15 and 21 and 22 February. The second legs will be played on 7 and 8 and 14 and 15 March.

Munich are the only ones of the German quartet who will have home right in the second leg. After the abolition of the away goals rule, this is possibly an advantage.

“Champions League, that’s how it is,” Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann commented on PSG’s draw, where Argentina’s Lionel Messi, Brazil’s Neymar and France’s Kylian Mbappé are all strikers. It is a treat for any football fan, Bayern’s chief sports officer Hasan Salihamidzic told TV channel Sky.

Leipzig’s respect for ManCity

From a sporting point of view, Leipzig’s reactions were subdued. “It’s Champions League and you always have to expect the hardest,” said RB defender and captain Willi Orban. Last season, Leipzig had won the home game 2-1 in the group stage, but had previously conceded a 3-6 defeat in Manchester. And at that time, former Salzburg Red Bull kicker Erling Haaland was not yet playing for the team led by German international Ilkay Gündogan.

Borussia Dortmund will have a reunion with two other professionals against Chelsea. “A top team is waiting for us. With (Pierre-Emerick) Aubameyang and (Christian) Pulisic we will meet old acquaintances,” said BVB coach Edin Terzic, who is also personally looking forward to meeting Chelsea coach Graham Potter. They are good friends, Terzic revealed.

A lot of explosiveness will also be in the air on the Main when former and eternal Maradona club SSC Napoli take on Frankfurt Eintracht. “In the end, it was also to be expected that we would get a tough opponent,” said sporting director Markus Krösche. “We will do everything to move into the next round. I don’t think Napoli are super-happy to get us. “

By Julian