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Champions League last-16: the ties to watch and the upsets brewing

The draw has served up a heavyweight clash, a grudge match and at least one tie where the underdogs will fancy their chances.

BBrian OchiengEuropean Football Correspondent1 min read

Ties that will define the round

The Champions League last-16 draw rarely disappoints, and this edition is no exception — a fixture list that pairs two of the tournament's most decorated clubs and hands several underdogs a genuine route to the quarter-finals.

The standout tie pits European royalty against a side in the form of their lives, with the fitness of the hosts' talismanic striker likely to decide the contest.

Elsewhere, a former champion's fragile defence faces the tournament's most clinical counter-attacking side — a mismatch that could produce the shock of the round.

  • The heavyweight clash: two former winners meet over two legs
  • The grudge match: a reunion with history between two rivals
  • The upset alert: the group-stage minnows nobody wants to face
In the knockout rounds, form goes out of the window. Moments decide everything.
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Written by

Brian Ochieng

Football correspondent covering the English Premier League and the Champions League.

View all articles by Brian