Champions League Preview: New rule Champions League set to be tested as the knockout rounds take off

The UEFA Champions League returns this week and the round of 16 first leg games will be played as many teams look to put behind their poor run in the league and start brightly, the first of a double-header in the knockout rounds of the Champions League with brand new rule set to be in use.

Champions League

The new rule has it that the away goal rule will no longer be in use, meaning teams will no longer feel pressured of not scoring away to their opponents as long as they can always get the job done in their own ground.

The champions league will resume will big names still on the quest for success in the competition, safe the likes of Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund, who have both been eliminated to the Europa League after their third place finishes in their respective groups.

Fixtures

PSG Paris Saint-Germain against Real Madrid

The round of 16 of this year will see record winners Real Madrid lockhorns with 2021 finalist PSG Paris Saint-Germain, who now have seven times Balon d'Or winner, Lionel Messi in their rank.

Both sides have meet nine times recently in all competitions and the Spanish giants have come out victorious on five occasions while two have ended in draws. PSG however will be looking to fancy their chances this time as Real Madrid will be without Cristiano Ronaldo, and they have Lionel Messi, who has a devastating record against Madrid.

This time however, PSG finished second in their group, just behind Manchester City while Real Madrid won their group comfortably. The narratives in the knockout rounds is no respecter of past events meaning Real Madrid could even be the underdog when they take on the Parisiens.

Madrid however could also boast the form of Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema, both whom have been astonishing since the start of the campaign, while PSG could have Neymar return in time to line up alongside Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi.

Sergio Ramos will not be involved against his former employer due to a calf injury. He might however be fit in time for the second leg in Madrid.

Sporting CP against Manchester City

For the first time since their meeting in the Europa League knockout stage in 2012, a lot has changed since and Manchester City will now see themselves huge favourite in their Champions League round of 16 double-header with Sporting CP.

For Sporting, they won the Portuguese League in the last season to stand a chance of making the champions league qualification and staged a big upset against Borussia Dortmund in the group stages to book round of 16 spot despite losing their first two games in the competition.

Not many will see them qualify for the last eight at the expense of City but no one gave them a chance to be here anyways but with players like Pedro Gonçalves, Paulinho and Pablo Sarabia, they will be looking to give Pep Guardiola’s side a run for their money.

Inter Milan against Liverpool

Liverpool and Inter Milan is one of the biggest fixtures of the knockout rounds. English side Liverpool progressed from their group in the competition, winning all their games including home and away against Inter’s city rivals, AC.

Inter amended their woe in the competition last season by making it out of the group stages this time. They are in a good form even if they currently sit second in the Serie A, winning their game in hand will project them back to the summit.

This is a tricky and even contest but due to Liverpool's run in the competition recently, they take the favourites tag heading into the double-header against Simone Inzaghi’s men.

Salzburg against Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich won the two fixtures when both sides meet in 2020. They are also favourites heading into this champions league round of 16 clash.

Salzburg have won each of their last six competitive game. Despite being tagged minors, they managed to qualify from the Group G, eliminating Sevilla and Wolfsburg.

Bayern Munich are top of the BundesLiga table and won their group flawlessly with six wins from six games, a comprising Barcelona and Benfica, however, they were outsmarted in their last games by Bochum.

No doubt about the class and quality of Bayern but the weekend loss will give Salzburg some hopes that they also can better the Bavarian but can they really do it in a two legged clash ?

Chelsea against Lille

Surprisingly, it was Lille who won their group while Chelsea finished behind Juventus in their own group, a really tough draw for the French champions despite finishing top of their group, surely they would have thought of a more easy draw than the currently holders.

Jocelyn Gourvennec side haven't had a great start to the season and their form is uninspiring. They are currently placed 11th in the Ligue 1 and have won just two of their last seven games in all competitions, a run which has seen them eliminated from the Coupe de France by Lens on penalties.

Their opponent, Chelsea have had a good start to the campaign having won the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup trophies. They have also reached the final of the Carabao Cup and have secured qualification for the next round of the FA Cup.

They've slipped behind City and Liverpool in the league but playing third in the English top-flight League for now will not be a bad season for any team.

Chelsea and Lille met in the group H of the Champions League in 2019 and it was the Blues who came out on top in both legs, winning 2-1 in each fixtures to finish behind first place Valencia while Lille finished fourth that time.

It will be a game that both sides will be looking to dominate but base on recent evidence, Chelsea might have the next round sealed before the return leg in March.

Juventus against Villarreal

Despite their poor league form, Juventus have been a different team in this competition and finished top of their group, ahead of defending Champions, Chelsea with 15 from possible 18 points.

They face a Villarreal side, who got the better of their fellow Italian club, Atalanta in Bergamo to seal round of 16 ticket just behind Manchester United in group F.

Villarreal have also been inconsistent this season but results from their last four games shows that Unai Emery’s side have turned it around, with three wins and one draw, which came against Real Madrid.

Juventus are also unbeaten in their last seven games and have recorded just one loss in their last 16 games across all competitions, which was a 2-1 defeat away to Inter.

It promises to be a mouthwatering clash which any team might have the chance to go into the next round but base on power rankings, Juventus, who lost out in this round last season on away goal rule that has now been scrapped could seal the quarters ticket this time.

Manchester United against Atletico Madrid

Two of the teams considered elite in Europe. United though have a richer and better history of the two but Atletico have enjoyed much success recently than their rival for a place in the quarter finals of this season’s Champions League.

Cristiano Ronaldo will yet again be the man in the spotlight when the two side go head to head as he has quite an astonishing reputation against Diego Simeone side, contributing 34 goals in 35 games against them while playing for Real Madrid and Juventus.

However, both sides have had a difficult start to the season with Atletico, who are the current holder of the La Liga title now placed fifth on the log and have lost seven league games this season, they also just managed to qualify from their group in the Champions League, picking up seven points from 6 games.

For Manchester United, despite losing their first game in the competition to Young Boys, inspired by their Portuguese talisman, they managed to finish top of their group and now faces Atletico in the round of 16.

United will be counting on their Champions League form and that may be enough to lift them above Atletico Madrid in the two legged clash.

Ajax against Benfica

Ajax, alongside Liverpool and Bayern Munich are the only sides to have had a perfect run in the group stages of the competition, winning all six games played.

The Dutch champions also faces Benfica’s Portuguese rival, Sporting CP and thrashed them both home and away with an aggregate win of 9-3. That alone could make us conclude that the Erik ten Haag side are the overwhelming favorite in this one.

They also boast a better head to head record against Benfica, winning one and drawing one when they met in the competition in group E back in 2018.

All evidence in this contest shows Ajax should progress to the next round at the expense of Benfica.

Author: Kehinde Hassan Afolabi