The Champions League is back with strong "duels" with the best 16 teams now closer to the dream of winning the Champions League and wanting to take the "step" above and find themselves in the quarter-finals of the top club competition.
Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Real Sociedad, Atletico Madrid, Dortmund, Manchester City and Barcelona finished at the top of their groups.
The second ticket was taken by Copenhagen, Eindhoven, Napoli, Inter, Lazio, Paris Saint-Germain, Leipzig and Porto.
The start is on Tuesday (13/2, 22:00) by two couples, with clear favourites. Manchester City travel to Denmark to face Copenhagen, who they faced last season in the group stage, with the two sides emerging goalless at the Parken. The Danes do not have the stress of qualifying as they are the underdogs, so relieved they will try to enjoy the double encounters.
In the other game of the day, the multiple winners of the institution Real Madrid, travel to Germany, where Leipzig awaits them, who want to repeat last year's home triumph (3-2) in the group stage, against the "merenches". And in this pair there are favorites and underdogs, however, Leipzig can make it difficult for Ancelotti's team.
On Wednesday (14/2, 22:00), there are also two big games with Lazio hosting Bayern Munich, who have set their sights on winning the competition. The Bavarians are coming off a 3-0 away defeat at Bayer Leverkusen and are looking to make a fresh start against the Italians, who are seen as outsiders for qualification. The two teams had met again in the same phase in 2021 with the Bavarians advancing with two wins (2-1 and 1-4).
The schedule for the first week of the "16" also includes the difficult game that awaits Paris Saint-Germain against Real Sociedad, with the Spaniards showing a good "face" in the competition and the French, although they are favorites, but they cannot to underestimate the Basques.
On the two days of February 20 and 21, the remaining first four games of the "16" phase will be played.
Porto will be up against Arsenal with the English side theoretically the first to qualify, however, the Dragons should never be underestimated. Napoli will welcome Barcelona of many problems and difficulties in Spain in an unpredictable pair, as there is no stability.
Eindhoven will face Borussia Dortmund with the Germans holding a slim lead in qualifying and the last 16 pairing is Inter Milan with Atletico Madrid, with the Italians having an outstanding year both at home and abroad and they show that they can continue in the tournament as they did last year when Eindhoven hosted Dortmund and Inter waited for Atlético Madrid, their friend Diego Simeone.