The UEFA Champions League is always a fascinating phenomenon to football lovers across the world. The closer it draws to the final, the more thrilling it gets. Going into 2020, teams are done and dusted in the group stages and are now heading into the first knockout round.
Sixteen teams will battle it out for a quarter-final place in February and March 2020. Defending champs Liverpool will be looking to bag a second title in as many years. They have been on a roll, especially domestically and are still hot favourites to go the distance.
That said, it will by no means be a stroll. They have to go against a host of other great teams if they are to achieve this feat. As manager Jürgen Klopp has previously stated, you have to play against the best to be the best. There are no easy matches at this stage.
The Draw in Full
Atletico Madrid vs Liverpool- Atalanta vs Valencia
- Chelsea vs Bayern
- Lyon vs Juventus
- Real Madrid vs Manchester City
- Dortmund vs PSG
- Napoli vs Barcelona
- Tottenham vs RB Leipzig
The matches will be played over two legs, with the first leg hosted by the team appearing first on the match-up. At this stage, teams try to muster all tricks to grind out a win, including player recovery disadvantages that opponents may have from travelling and domestic competitions.
Some leagues have been known to adjust their domestic schedules to assist their members in progressing in the Champions League with recovery. Others, like the Premier League, have not shown such benevolence.
The past decade has witnessed dominance from Barcelona and Real Madrid, with a few interruptions by German and English teams in between. With its 2019 win, Liverpool has shown intent on regaining its place among elite European clubs.
The Champions League rolls on; get in!