Bayern and their challengers await Champions League fates

PARIS: After a volatile Champions League group stage, a familiar collection of Europe’s football giants are in the draw for the knockout rounds in Switzerland on Monday, although one titan looms over all the others.

Of the 16 teams who will go into the two pots at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon for the draw at 1100 GMT, four are German and four are Spanish.

There are three clubs each from Italy and England with two-time winners Porto and last season’s losing finalists Paris Saint-Germain making up the list.

Reigning champions Bayern Munich are among the eight seeds with Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, PSG and Real Madrid.

The other pot will contain Porto, Atalanta, Lazio, Sevilla, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, RB Leipzig and Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Yet while the last 16 has a familiar look, many of the players do not.

This has been a season of youth in the Champions League, sometimes by choice, often by necessity.

Bayern marched to the title last year winning all 11 games.

They won their first four group games this season before hitting the crash barrier that is Atletico Madrid and drawing 1-1.

That left the two clubs tied for most consecutive wins in a single European competition. Atletico won 15 straight in the Europa League from 2011 to autumn 2012.

While Bayern, like Chelsea and Manchester City cruised to first place in their groups, other clubs had bumpier rides.

“I don’t think we can overanalyse the group stage,” said Chelsea manager Frank Lampard after fielding a youthful team and drawing the last group game at home to Krasnodar.

When teams analyse their opponents after the draw, they will have much to ponder. - AFP