Author: Leban Ahmed
The Champions’ League group stage has been completed and we now have the final 16 teams moving on to the next round. Each fixture will be over the course of two-legs with the seeded teams having home court for the final game. This year though, the away goals rule has been removed which now introduces extra time for teams who are tied on aggregate. In my opinion, this should lead to some more interesting resolutions for the quarter-final.
We have some new and recurring storylines this year that seem to be reaching their breaking point with the summer signings proving to be influential. Will Ajax repeat the success they had with their 18-19 campaign and possibly move past the semifinals? Can Pep Guardiola finally complete his job as Man City manager and deliver them their UCL trophy? Can Messi do the same for Pochettino and PSG? Can Lewandowski find revenge for the Ballon d’or snub with another UCL win? The outcome this year for many of the players as well as the teams is legacy defining and could possibly influence the end of the current era of football as we know it. The draw for the round is important for this very reason as many teams are looking for an easy out to the quarter finals.
The Round of 16 has some exciting new teams this year with many having young players that are eager to make the next big step. Depending on the draw, we may see the beginning of new rivalries as old ones like Bayern Munich and Barcelona have already died out. Either way, fans are in for an exciting Champions’ League season.
SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE
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