The draw for the round of 16 of the Champions League has brought mixed fortunes for the Spanish teams. Real Madrid has avoided the theoretically most difficult teams and will face Red Bull Leipzig, while Real Sociedad will face PSG, on paper the most difficult rival possible, and Atlético de Madrid will seek a pass against Inter. Milan, current runner-up and leader of Serie A. Barça, for its part, will face Naples. All of them will play the second leg of the tie in their stadium.
After sweeping the group stage with a total of victories, the Madrid team will meet the third-placed team in the Bundesliga, a team with which it already played last season in the group stage of Europe's top competition. These two precedents, the only ones in the history of both clubs, ended with a white victory at the Bernabéu (2-0) and a German victory in Leipzig (3-2).
"They are a great team. We already faced each other last year. They were two close games, they will be a very difficult opponent for us. They are in a good moment, they are a dangerous opponent. It is not going to be easy at all. We have to play at the highest level "It will be two attractive games because their proposal is offensive," the director of institutional relations of Real Madrid, Emilio Butragueño, the club's emissary in the Nyon draw, analyzed the confrontation against the Germans.
For its part, Atlético will face an Inter that last season was close to winning the fourth victory in its history, only surpassed by the minimum in a final where it put Manchester City on the ropes. "We had to get one. It's a well-known team. A great team. We're happy and content with what we've got. Let's see what games we get," said Colchonero president Enrique Cerezo.
Real Sociedad had worse luck, as they will face the team that all the seeded teams wanted to avoid: Luis Enrique and Kylian Mbappé's PSG. The French, who qualified until the last minute in the 'group of death', have been in the group of favorites to win the title for years despite the fact that this season they are having, for the moment, a very irregular season. The Basques, on the other hand, are currently going through a good moment, well in the League and after having played a great role in the group stage of the Champions League. French and San Sebastian have never faced each other. "What are we going to do? We probably have the best team. We are going to have it with all our strength. Possibly they will have more pressure. We are going to try with all our strength," explained the president of Real Sociedad, Jokin Aperribay. .
Naples-Barça
Oporto-Arsenal
Naples-Barça
PSG-Real Sociedad
Inter Milan-Atlético de Madrid
PSV - Borussia Dortmund
Lazio-Bayern Munich
Copenhague-Manchester City
RB Leipzig-Real Madrid
