Champions League returns: Round of 16 matches kick off today - Madrid derby and other clashes
Kyiv • UNN
On March 4, the first matches of the Champions League Round of 16 will take place, including the "Atletico" - "Real" derby. Also playing will be "Club Brugge" - "Aston Villa", "Borussia" - "Lille" and PSV - "Arsenal".
Tonight, the first matches of the Champions League Round of 16 begin. Many football fans will be paying attention to the Madrid derby between "Atletico" and "Real", as well as the matches: "Club Brugge" (Belgium) - "Aston Villa" (England), "Borussia" (Dortmund, Germany) - "Lille" (France), PSV (Netherlands) - "Arsenal" (England).
UNN reports with reference to Associated Press, Marca and Sportschau.
"Real" Madrid - "Atletico"
The Madrid derby - "Atletico" and "Real" - takes center stage in the Champions League Round of 16. The rivalry between the two teams dates back to 1906, and currently includes several hundred matches in various tournaments.
"Real" Madrid, a record 15-time European champion, has been a problem for "Atletico" in the Champions League for many years. It was the royal club that emerged victorious in their confrontation in two finals.
It should be noted that Carlo Ancelotti's team failed their dress rehearsal before the next match with "Atletico" - Real Madrid lost to "Betis" from Seville with a score of 2:1.
But Diego Simeone's team defeated "Athletic" from Bilbao in the Spanish championship match with a score of 1:0, thanks to a goal by Argentine Julián Álvarez.
It is believed that "Atletico" is currently playing its best football since the outstanding Argentine midfielder Diego Simeone took over as coach more than ten years ago. "Atletico" has suffered only one defeat in its last 26 competitive matches.
Regarding "Real":
The defeat against "Betis" left a hole in morale that can only be filled by presence and results in the Champions League
"Club Brugge" - "Aston Villa"
The Belgians hope to "take a scalp" for the second time, local media write. Let's recall that last season's amazing 5-2 aggregate victory over Europa League winner Italian "Atalanta" was the first that "Club Brugge" achieved in the playoffs of the continent's elite tournament, in the modern era of the Champions League.
On Tuesday, British "Aston Villa" stands in their way in the first Champions League match, but "Club Brugge" promises not to be afraid of the English Premier League team, which won the previous match with a score of 1:0, when the teams met in Belgium in the Champions League group stage in November 2024.
What you need to know before the match about "Aston Villa": Unai Emery's team travels to Belgium to play against "Club Brugge" in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 and hopes to bring a vital advantage to "Villa Park".
The squad has been strengthened by the arrival of England national team striker Marcus Rashford and attacking midfielder Marco Asensio. We should also add that "Aston Villa" has been inconsistent in the Premier League, but continues to fight on three fronts after reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals on Friday.
"Borussia" Dortmund - "Lille"
The players of "Borussia" from Dortmund, Germany, have been extremely inconsistent this season. It is already clear that "Borussia" is currently not a team capable of fighting for the championship in Germany. The team is in 10th place in the Bundesliga with mixed results.
As for Bruno Genesio's charges, "Lille" is fighting to maintain the positions they won last season in the French championship. The team approaches today's game not in optimal form. It should be recalled that in February they were eliminated from the French Cup by a rather modest "Dunkerque" (1:1 and 4:5 on penalties). However, in the Champions League group stage, "Lille" performed confidently. Here's what head coach Bruno Genesio says:
We are among the 16 best teams in Europe, which means we need to live in this moment. "Borussia" has good players who can surpass themselves if their fans are behind them
Borussia head coach Niko Kovač noted that "Lille" is a tough nut to crack, but his team is working hard on the training ground. But he admitted that "Borussia" is still "far from the point where it intends to be."
"PSV" Eindhoven - "Arsenal" London
"PSV" from Eindhoven (Netherlands) delivered one of the surprises of the Champions League stage, defeating "Liverpool" 3:2, and then in the playoffs passed Italian Juventus, winning in extra time.
It should also be recalled about "PSV" that in the group stage the club from Eindhoven defeated Spanish "Girona" with a score of 4:0. It is worth mentioning that in the final stages of the group tournament, there was also a comeback victory of 3:2 over Donetsk "Shakhtar" after PSV, during the match, was losing 0:2.
Now there will be a meeting with an English Premier League team, which is one of the leaders of the current season.
The club's head coach Peter Bosz stated before the game with "Arsenal" that he does not intend to make big concessions in his playing style.
No, I'm not going to change my playing style. I adapt to the opponent in every match, but not to the philosophy
However, the "PSV" coach made it clear that he intends to make a number of changes to his squad.
London "Arsenal", which includes Ukrainian midfielder Oleksandr Zinchenko, is going to the match not in the best mood. After a big victory over Pep Guardiola's team earlier this year with a score of 5:1, the "Gunners" were knocked out of the Carabao Cup, lost their only available striker due to injury until the end of the season, and now the leadership in the English Premier League seems unattainable due to Liverpool's 13-point lead.
Before the match, it is known that due to injuries, the main trio of "Gunners" - Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli, as well as Gabriel Jesus - are out.
Mikel Merino is expected to continue in the role of temporary central forward.