As the draw for the UEFA Europa League round of 16 is finalized, fans' attention is focused on a key matchup - last year's champions Manchester City will face Copenhagen, a seemingly weaker team. The matchup is certainly a battle of strengths and weaknesses, and City is expected to easily break through and advance to the last 8.
The draw was conducted by former Chelsea captain Terry himself, and he drew the perfect pairing for the clash. Aside from Manchester City, Arsenal's clash with Porto is also highly anticipated, and the pairing is equally interesting. UEFA 14-time league leaders Real Madrid, on the other hand, face off with RB Leipzig in what is also seen as a challenging match. As for Paris Saint-Germain, the draw managed to get rid of the strongest teams such as Real Madrid and Bayern, and the situation is relatively optimistic when facing Real Sociedad this time.
However, the top three in Serie A seem to be facing a tough challenge. Inter Milan will face a tough match against Sporting Madrid, Lazio will face Bayern Munich, and Napoli will face Barcelona. With these three matches, the Serie A teams may be facing a tough knockout round.
The UEFA Europa League Round of 16 matches will officially kick off on February 13, 2024 until March 13th when the curtain falls. And on March 15, the draw for the last 8 will be unveiled.
Here is the draw for the UEFA Europa League round of 16:
Porto vs Arsenal
Napoli vs Barcelona
Paris Saint-Germain vs Real Sociedad
Inter Milan vs Sporting Madrid
Eindhoven vs Dortmund
Lazio vs Bayern Munich
Copenhagen vs Manchester City
RB Leipzig vs Real Madrid
