Two years after going through the Europa League, Barcelona was present in the draw for the round of 16 of the Champions League. Xavi Hernández's men will face Napoli, a team coached by Walter Mazzarri. The first leg will be played in Naples on February 13, 14, 20 or 21 and the return leg on March 5, 6, 12 or 13 in Montjuïc. "There is time to prepare for the game. Naples is the current champion of Serie A. And we are the current champions of the League. It is a tough rival. There are no easy rivals in the Champions League, everyone is here for something," the director said. Deco sports car that debuted as the club's representative in Nyon. "The last time I came was as a player," he recalled.
Afterwards, Deco analyzed the moment that FC Barcelona is experiencing after the two consecutive defeats against Girona and Antwerp and the draw at Mestalla against Valencia. "We played a good game against València, we need to score goals. We have to consolidate the game, there is a lot left for that game. Now we think about Almería and the League and then we will think about this match," he said.
Atlético de Madrid and Real Sociedad were not so lucky in the draw. Simeone's team will face Inter Milan, last year's finalist eliminated by Manchester City and leader of Serie A. "Inter Milan is a great team. They are a difficult opponent but we will be fine in February. We have to go out to win," said its president Enrique Cerezo.
For its part, Real Sociedad and its good football will come up against the theoretical potential of PSG. Luis Enrique Martínez's team, with its entire constellation of figures led by Kylian Mbappé, has not had a brilliant first stretch of the season and went through notable difficulties to finish second in its group. "We didn't want it but what are we going to do? Real Sociedad is classified as first in the group and we will try to win. The pressure will be on all of us but more so on them," explained its president, Jokin Aperribay.
For its part, Real Madrid will meet RB Leipzig. He is third in the Bundesliga and hopes to recover Dani Olmo for the Champions League, with a sprained shoulder that forced him to undergo surgery at the end of October. "Leipzig is a great team, we already know them from last year. It's going to be dangerous," warned Emilio Butragueño, director of institutional relations for the white team.
The Cinderella of the hype, Copenhagen, will meet the current champion, Manchester City. In this campaign the Danish team has survived in a very complicated group, in which it was only surpassed in the table by Bayern Munich and preceded Galatasaray, against whom it won the pass in the last match (1-0) and to Manchester United. "They must have done something right. They finished second in the group, leaving Manchester United out," recalled Txiki Begiristain, City's technical secretary.
Asked about Barcelona's trajectory, Begiristain also defended Xavi Hernández's management: "We have to give him time. They won the League and have finished as first in the group."
Eight years later, another of the favorites returns to the second round, PSV Eindhoven, one of Sevilla's executioners. The Dutch team, champion of the highest continental competition in 1988 and outstanding leader of the Eredivisie with Sergiño Dest and Luuk de Jong, will face Borussia Dortmund while Porto will face Arsenal and Lazio against Bayern Munich
Ida (13/14/20/21-02/2024)
Oporto - Arsenal
Naples - Barcelona
PSG - Real Sociedad
Inter Milan - Atlético Madrid
PSV Eindhoven - Borussia Dortmund
Lazio - Bayern Munich
Copenhagen - Manchester City
Leipzig - Real Madrid
Return (5/6/12/13/-03-2024)
Arsenal - Oporto
Barcelona - Naples
Real Sociedad - PSG
Atlético Madrid - Inter Milan
Borussia Dortmund - PSV Eindhoven
Bayern Munich - Lazio
Manchester City - Copenhagen
Real Madrid - Leipzig
