The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) was forced to cancel the original draw for the round of 16 stages of this year’s Champions League after an error in drawing the teams.
Premier League side Manchester United was drawn to Villarreal, whom they had played in the group stage of the competition. This resulted in a redraw for that match, with United facing Paris Saint-Germain, which excited many fans as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi would’ve gone head-to-head once again. Liverpool and Atletico Madrid were also initially drawn together despite being in the same group.
UEFA acknowledged the error through a statement and confirmed that there would be a redraw for the round of 16 stages.
“Following a technical problem with the software of an external service provider that instructs the officials as to which teams are eligible to play each other, a material error occurred in the draw for the UEFA Champions League Round of 16,” said the UEFA statement.
There was an uproar on social media, with fans suggesting that the draw was rigged to deliver a Ronaldo vs Messi face-off once again.
In a redraw later in the day, just one tie was the same as the original draw, with Chelsea and Lille facing each other. The Blues, who are the defending champions, will play at home first against the French side, who are currently struggling in Ligue 1.
Chelsea’s Premier League rivals Liverpool will travel to Italy to face Inter Milan, while Manchester City has an easy tie against the Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon. Manchester United, meanwhile, will face Atletico Madrid, whom they haven’t faced in 30 years.
Bayern Munich will be expected to cruise past Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg, while the ties between Benfica and Ajax, and Juventus and Villarreal could be much closer.
The big, mouthwatering clash of the tie is between Real Madrid against Paris Saint-Germain. There are many sub-plots in this tie between the two European giants, with Sergio Ramos returning to the Bernabeu since his exit in the summer, while Lionel Messi will hope to continue his fine form against the Spanish side. The two-legged tie could also be the perfect audition stage for Kylian Mbappe – if he hasn’t convinced Madrid yet of his ability – who has been heavily linked to moving to Madrid next summer.
The first legs of the round of 16 Champions League ties will be held in February, while the return legs will be held a month later.
