The 16th round of the UEFA Champions League has arrived. It brings with it a lot of interesting and mouth watering relationships. The round of 16 also marks the first time in 57 years that the away goal rule would not apply.
European football's parent body UEFA announced in June 2021 that it had removed the away goals rule from the Champions League and its other competitions, this season and beyond.
The rule was introduced in 1965, with the aim of determining the winner in cases where two teams had scored the same number of goals overall in two matches. If a team had scored more goals on their opponent's home ground, they would have qualified for the next round.
However, from now on, if both teams are tied at the end of both stages of a Champions League tie, additional time and penalties will be required, regardless of the number of goals scored by the team.
UEFA President Alexandre Ceferin said at the time, "It is fair to say that home advantage is no longer as important today as it was before."
"Considering the consistency across Europe in terms of playing styles, and the many different factors that have led to a decline in domestic advantage, the UEFA Executive Committee has made the right decision in adopting the view that it is no longer one Not suitable for aiming to lift more weight than one made at home.”
The away goals rule has been the source of many heartbreaks over the past season. Who can forget in 2009 when Barcelona were two minutes away from their Champions League exit against Chelsea in a tense second leg clash at Stamford Bridge, London?
Ballerina-esque Andres Iniesta took a pass from Lionel Messi and swung the ball from outside the box to the top corner. His swift goal secured a 1–1 draw - sending the Spanish side into the final on the away goals rule - that ended in a zero-all stalemate after the first leg in Spain.
Tottenham Hotspur advanced to the final of the 2019 Champions League by defeating Manchester City in the quarter-finals and then Ajax in the semi-finals.
Start the game
A hunch of struggle appears as record European champions Real Madrid clash with prolific Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the opening round of the last-16.
The more vocal group stage was in Madrid. After losing to Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol in their second game of the group campaign, Los Blancos blew everything in their way to finish at the top of their group with 15 points from 18. Meanwhile, PSG blew hot and cold by finishing second behind Manchester City in their group with 11 points.
The Spaniard, who is a 13-time European champion, also has Champions League chief Carlo Ancelotti in the dugout to help him plot a frontal attack on the Parisians.
However, Los Blancos are sweating the fitness of their talismanic French forward Karim Benzema. The club's top goalscorer this season has been ruled out in the last three games with a muscle injury and has suffered a fitness test of late.
Of course, the match will mark a reunion for Lionel Messi with Madrid. The legendary Argentine played in 45 El Clásico matches during his time with Barcelona, the joint most in the history of fixture with current PSG teammate and former Madrid captain Sergio Ramos.
“There is no more pressure from one side to the other. I respect Real Madrid, they are one of the biggest clubs in the world who have won everything. However, in my opinion, there is no favorite. PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino said it could be a final given the quality of the players.
In another thrilling round of 16 clashes, six-time European champions Liverpool will face three-time European champions Inter Milan. The Reds will face the Nerazuri in the final 16 years of this season for the first time in 14 years. The two sides faced off at the same stage in 2008, with the British claiming bragging rights over their Italian counterparts.
The fixture also marked Liverpool's return to the San Siro - where Jurgen Klopp's men beat AC Milan 2-1 in their final game of the group stage in December. The Reds will be eyeing a similar result against Milan's blue team to set themselves up for a possible spot in the quarter-finals. DM
Full Champions League last-16 first-leg fixtures
Tuesday, 15 February 2022
Paris Saint-Germain vs Real Madrid (10pm)
Sporting vs Manchester City (10pm)
Wednesday, 16 February 2022
Inter Milan vs Liverpool (10pm)
Red Bull Salzburg vs Bayern Munich (10pm)
Tuesday, 22 February 2022
Chelsea vs Lille (10pm)
Villarreal vs Juventus (10pm)
Wednesday, 23 February 2022
Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United (10pm)
Benfica vs Ajax (10pm)