Manchester City handed easy draw, Napoli-Barca clash in knockouts
City will continue its title defence against Copenhagen, which is making its first appearance at this stage since 2011. The Danish champion qualified ahead of Manchester United in group play.
Draw results displayed on screen after the event.
NYON: Manchester City got a kind draw for the round of 16 knockouts in the Champions League. Paris Saint-Germain’s opponent could have been much tougher, as well.
City will continue its title defence against Copenhagen, which is making its first appearance at this stage since 2011. The Danish champion qualified ahead of Manchester United in group play.
Paris Saint-Germain wasn’t punished as hard as it could have been for finishing second in its group. The French champion, still without a Champions League title under its Qatari ownership and eliminated in the last 16 for the past two years, will face a Real Sociedad team playing in Europe’s top competition for the first time in a decade.
The draw for the two-legged round of 16 was made Monday at UEFA’s headquarters, with the standout matchup being Napoli pitted against Barcelona — two of the late Diego Maradona’s former clubs. Barcelona hasn’t advanced beyond the round of 16 since the 2019-20 season.
Real Madrid, seeking a record-extending 15th European Cup title, will play Leipzig while Inter Milan, last season’s beaten finalist and another high-profile group runner-up, plays Atletico Madrid.
