Ranking the Champions League Round of 16 Matchups
- Chris Harrison
- Dec 12, 2017
- 6 min read
With the dust settled after the group stage, the UEFA Champions League released the results of its draw for the Round of 16 yesterday. These final 16 clubs will compete for the right to call themselves the best soccer team in Europe (but really, the best team in the world—nobody cares about the Club World Cup). As always, some teams got some very favorable draws, and others are really regretting not winning their group. Let's rank the matchups in terms of entertainment value.
8. Bayern v. Besiktas
Besiktas supporters will almost definitely be complaining that they got screwed here. It's hard to be excited when your reward for topping your group (even if it was the weakest group) is a matchup against one of the juggernauts of world soccer. While there's talent on Besiktas's roster and they're not easy to play against in their home stadium (read: their fans will literally throw flares onto the pitch), this one shouldn't be particularly close.
Player to watch: Robert Lewandowski
He's a goal-scoring robot.
7. Manchester City v. Basel
Basel performed admirably in the group stage, picking up 12 points and even beating Manchester United when they faced off in Switzerland. They've got some pretty exciting young players on the roster, but, ultimately, they'll wind up being outclassed by Pep Guardiola's Man City squad. City has knocked in three goals per game in the Premier League this year (there are only two other squads averaging even two per contest) and have an embarrassment of riches in the attacking third. City should coast through this matchup.
Player to watch: Kevin De Bruyne
He might be the most complete midfielder in the world right now, capable of pulling the strings from the back with gorgeous long passing, or striking a rocket at the goal with either foot. Good luck telling your friends about him, though, because no English-language announcing crew seems to agree on how to say his name.
6. Shakhtar Donetsk v. Roma
This one may be short on star power and dramatic storylines, but it should be among the most competitive matchups. Shakhtar surprised plenty of pundits by finishing ahead of high-flying Napoli—they also beat Man City's B-team—in the group stage and they have a chance to extend their run by facing off against another big Italian club. Roma's been solid in Serie A so far this season, but seem a class below the top three in the table. These two clubs seem fairly evenly matched and the result could come down to the last minute. It could be the last shot at glory for these teams though, as either one would be a massive underdog in the quarterfinals.
Player to watch: Fred!
Brazilian players love their mononyms and Frederico Rodrigues Santos chooses to go by just Fred, which is wonderful. Anyway, he's very fast and a pretty exciting, creative player.
5. Sevilla v. Manchester United
Fans all over the world will be hoping Sevilla can pull off the upset here and, well, they just might be able to. In a matchup featuring two clubs who have combined to win the last four Europa League finals (Sevilla fans are undoubtedly more proud of this than Man U fans), we could very well see an upset. Sevilla's a bit unfortunate to be in La Liga, with three powerhouse clubs perennially at the top of the table, so they tend to go unnoticed, but they've got a very capable squad and Man U is prone to stretches where they struggle to create chances. United will be the favorites here, but here's hoping Sevilla ekes out a win and we get a classic angry press conference from Jose Mourinho. The Champions League knockout stages are a special occasion, so expect Paul Pogba's hair to be a goddamn work of art.
Player to watch: Paul Pogba
I'd like to think the Instagram post above explains everything, but you really do need to watch this guy play live. Nobody with his size and build has any business having such outstanding ball control and dribbling ability. When he's given freedom to roam around the pitch and create, there are few players more exciting.
4. Porto v. Liverpool
Liverpool scored 23 goals in the group stage. 23! In six matches! That's bonkers! Porto put up 15. Where do we set the over/under for total goals scored in these two matches? You could set it anywhere and I might still take the over. Liverpool's hyper-aggressive style makes them wildly inconsistent. They might lose one 4-1 then somehow win the next 6-1. Watch Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp closely on the sidelines. If this winds up being as high-scoring as I think it'll be, he'll take us on a journey through the full range of human emotion.
Player to watch: Mohamed Salah
The Egyptian winger is absurdly fast with and without the ball and, in his first season in the Premier League, he is on fire. This should be the year he becomes a household name.
3. Chelsea v. Barcelona
Chelsea and Barcelona just drew each other for the sixth time in the Champions League era, although the last matchup was back in 2012, with both teams fielding very different rosters. Even though there may not be much bad blood among the players, there's still a lot to like here. Barca are known for their beautiful passing and movement and famously intense Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, who has been caught yelling "I'll kill you," among other things, on the sideline, will be looking to unleash N'Golo Kanté, who covers ground like the Tasmanian Devil in cleats, to disrupt their rhythm. Barca's attack will be a difficult riddle for the tactically adept Conte to try to crack, but he's shown before that he can get teams to punch above their weight class (see Italy's quarterfinal appearance in the 2016 Euros for further reference). More importantly, though, with Edan Hazard, (hopefully) Ousmane Dembele, and Lionel Messi on the pitch, there will be no shortage of players who can produce moments of individual brilliance.
Player to watch: Eden Hazard
I mean, the correct answer is obviously Messi, but Hazard is thrilling in his own right. He's made a habit out of turning defenders' ankles into dust thanks to his tremendous balance and ability to change direction.
2. Tottenham v. Juventus
Both clubs have had up-and-down seasons so far. On one hand, Harry Kane has been fantastic for Tottenham, but Spurs keep Spurs-ing and they sit just sixth in the league, even on points with Burnley. On the other hand, they took four points from two-time defending Champions League winners Real Madrid in the group stage and looked like a club on the ascendancy. Juventus are scoring at a higher rate than at any other point in their reign of dominance in Italy and their defense has started to round into shape, but they still sit third in their domestic league. Paulo Dybala, the team's most important attacker, has hit a slump, and they'll need him at his best to reach the quarterfinals. Juventus will be relying on their experience on the big stage—they've appeared in two of the last three Champions League finals—to guide them through.
Player to watch: Giorgio Chiellini
I could've picked Harry Kane or Gonzalo Higuaín, both star strikers who you'd never mistake for pro athletes if you saw them on the street, or Paulo Dybala, the baby-faced killer, but the key to this matchup will be how well Juve is able to corral the sneaky-dangerous Kane. Always in the right spot at the right time, the responsibility of shutting him down (or, just fouling him really hard) will likely fall to Chiellini, one of the world's most physical defenders. He seems to wind up bloody every few matches, and I expect nothing different here.
1. Real Madrid v. Paris Saint-Germain
I'm not going to do the math, but these have to be the most absurdly expensive rosters in the history of soccer. These two mega-rich clubs solve their problems by throwing money at them, and, in Real's case, it's actually worked. These two clubs are the type that have so many star attackers, they struggle to fit them all in their starting lineup. Aside from the sheer star power, the most exciting part of this matchup is the possibility of a changing of the guard. PSG nearly pulled this off last year against Barcelona before falling victim to one of the most insane comebacks (or collapses) in pro sports history and with Real having something of a down season (fourth-place in Spain and second in their Champions League group), PSG can seize the opportunity to become the new go-to megaclub for players who want to live like Richie Rich.
Player to watch: Neymar
Neymar moved from Barcelona to PSG (shades of Kyrie moving away from LeBron to Boston) to be in control of his own team. A win here would do a lot to validate his decision. All eyes will be on Neymar.
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