After a winter that lasted what felt like an eternity, the Champions League resumes this week with the beginning of the knockout stages.
The remaining 16 teams will be boosted by the fact some of Europe’s best sides, such as Premier League leaders Liverpool and Bundesliga favourites Bayer Leverkusen, are actually stuck in this year’s Europa League.
But as you’re quickly going to discover, that’s not so much of an advantage for these sides, with the race to the bottom perhaps a little more interesting than that to the top.
Which side will go all the way and become kings of Europe? Who is going to vomit all over themselves and stumble out the exit door quickest?
Here are the last 16 teams of this year’s Champions League, ranked by their likelihood to win it.
Last 16 opponent: Manchester City
Strength: It’s still really cold in Copenhagen
Weakness: It’s always really cold in Manchester
This is probably the end of the road for valiant Danish champions Copenhagen, who did well to emerge from a group which contained Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Galatasaray.
Last 16 opponent: Barcelona
Strength: Champions of Serie A
Weakness: Currently ninth in Serie A
We perhaps should have foreseen that the only natural way for Napoli to follow up on their Scudetto-winning campaign was to put in the worst defence of the Scudetto the world has ever seen.
What is he like, that Aurelio De Laurentiis?
Last 16 opponent: Arsenal
Strength: A lovely city, truly gorgeous, same goes for the stadium
Weakness: I’ve never seen architecture win a football match
Well Porto, you weren’t that fancied in 2004 when you went on to win the Champions League. Maybe your luck will be in again.
Last 16 opponent: Bayern Munich
Strength: Maurizio Sarri has a winners’ medal in Europe
Weakness: This isn’t the Europa League
Every time Lazio do qualify for the Champions League, it feels like it’s their destiny to get knocked out at the round of 16 stage by Bayern Munich.
Last 16 opponent: Paris Saint-Germain
Strength: Name translates to ‘Royal Society’, that’s got to mean something
Weakness: It does not, in fact, ‘mean…
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