By Victor Kanayo
English Premier League strugglers Liverpool have been handed a knockout stage draw against Defending champions Real Madrid in the 2022-23 Champions League campaign.
The clash is a repeat of the 2022 Champions League final which saw Madrid win a tense affair 1-0.
The two teams also played in the 2018 final, which Real Madrid won 3-1.
The clash between 14-time champions Real Madrid and Liverpool comes less than a year after Vinicius Junior’s goal decided the 2022 final between the two sides.
As well as the 2018 final, Real also beat Liverpool in the 2021 quarter-finals, drawing 0-0 at Anfield after a 3-1 home win.
The other blockbuster tie of the round sees Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich face off against Paris Saint-Germain and their attacking trident of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.
The French champions lost top spot on the final matchday of the group stage, thus risking a tougher draw like this one.
Bayern and PSG met in the 2021 quarter-finals too, with the Ligue 1 side advancing on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate score. PSG missed out on top spot in their group after Benfica won 6-1 in their last match to edge the head-to-head record on away goals.
Tottenham Hotspur will face off against Italian champions AC Milan, whilst London rivals Chelsea will meet Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund, meaning a return to his former club for American forward Christian Pulisic.
Also, EPL champions Manchester City will take on RB Leipzig of Germany.
Round Of 16 Dates
The first-leg of the last-16 matches will be played on February 14/15/21/22, 2022 with the second legs scheduled for March 7/8/14/15.
The final will take place on June 10, 2023 at Istanbul’s Ataturk Olympic Stadium, Turkey.
The Knockout Draw In Full
RB Leipzig v Manchester City
Club Brugge v SL Benfica
Liverpool v Real Madrid
AC Milan v Tottenham Hotspur
Eintracht Frankfurt v Napoli
Borussia Dortmund v Chelsea
Internazionale v Porto
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
