UEFA Champions League: Napoli Pitted Against Barcelona in Ro16 Blockbuster, Manchester City to Face Copenhagen

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The draw was made on Monday at UEFA's headquarters, with the standout matchup being Napoli vs. Barcelona, while holders Manchester City were drawn against Copenhagen.

UEFA Champions League holders Manchester City were handed a Round of 16 tie against Danish side Copenhagen on Monday following the draw at UEFA’s headquarters.

Pep Guardiola’s table-winning City, who are looking to retain their title, will be expected to cruise past the Danish side, who qualified from their group alongside Bayern Munich at the cost of Galatasaray and Manchester United.

Round of 16 ties ✅#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/N3xvSSNw1w— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 18, 2023

The biggest fixture to come out of the draw was the mouthwatering clash between Italian champions Napoli and La Liga holders Barcelona.

Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain were drawn against Spanish side Real Sociedad playing in its first Champions League season in a decade.

Record winners Real Madrid, eyeing their 15th European Cup title, will face off against Leipzig.

Last season’s UCL runners-up Inter Milan were pitted against Atletico Madrid as Diego Simeone, the coach of the Spanish club, will return to the Italian side where he spent a couple of seasons as a player in the late 1990s.

English giants Arsenal were drawn to face Portuguese side Porto Arsenal, while Dutch side PSV Eindhoven will take on German heavyweights Borussia Dortmund.

Italian club Lazio were dealt a difficult hand as they will square up against German champions Bayern Munich, who finishes atop their group standings.

In the last 16, teams cannot play an opponent from their own country or a team they already faced in the group stage. There’s no country protection after that.

The two-legged round-of-16 matchups will be played from February 13-14 in the year 2024.

UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Draws:

Porto (Portugal) vs. Arsenal (England)

Napoli (Italy) vs. Barcelona (Spain)

Paris Saint-Germain (France) vs. Real Sociedad (Spain)

Inter Milan (Italy) vs. Atletico Madrid (Spain)

PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands) vs. Borussia Dortmund (Germany)

Lazio (Italy) vs. Bayern Munich (Germany)

Copenhagen (Denmark) vs. Manchester City (England)

RB Leipzig (Germany) vs. Real Madrid (Spain)