By Weston Irons Posted February 29, 2016
After 32 teams battled it out in the group stages of the tournament, only half of them remain as time edges closer to the final in Milan. For the less informed, the UEFA Champions League is an annual competition in which the best soccer teams in Europe compete for the European Champion Clubs’ Cup. This year’s competing teams look as fierce as ever and feature many world-class players. Who will be remaining after the Round of 16?
Arsenal v. Barcelona
This will certainly be the matchup to watch. Arsenal take on arguably the best team in the world, FC Barcelona. Barcelona won the UEFA Champions League less than a year ago and is poised to do it again. Standout players on Barcelona include Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. Messi recently won the Ballon d’Or (the Golden Ball). This is an award given out annually to the best player in the world, a title he definitely deserves. Neymar was also a front-runner to receive this award. A strong Arsenal team probably won’t even be enough to overcome the Spanish side.
Juventus v. Bayern Munich
Juventus actually made it all the way to the final in last year’s UEFA Champions Cup but subsequently lost to Barcelona. Juventus have been having a rough year in their respective league while Bayern Munich has been cruising along as per usual. Juventus also saw the departures of several of their key players during the summer. Those departures included players such as Andrea Pirlo, Carlos Tevez, and Arturo Vidal. They will now have to look to midfielder Paul Pogba to guide them to victory, but that’s still a longshot. Striker Robert Lewandowski and the rest of the Bayern Munich squad won this contest by multiple goals.
Paris Saint-Germain v. Chelsea
These teams constantly manage to find a way to play each other in the elimination rounds and this year is no different. After winning the Premier League last season, Chelsea has been having a historically bad season. They feature a strong lineup but for whatever reason, they’ve been having a hard time winning. Also, The Blues recently fired their manager, Jose Mourinho. Meanwhile, PSG has been on a roll and are undefeated in Ligue 1 after 20 games. PSG’s star-studded team including the likes of Thiago Silva, Marco Verratti, and the mighty Zlatan Ibrahimovic will make easy work of a struggling Chelsea side.
AS Roma v. Real Madrid
AS Roma did not look very convincing in the group stage. They gave up leads and lost points on games they should have won; Real Madrid have been having somewhat of a similar season. AS Roma will put up a decent fight but will not be able to stop the dangerous Real Madrid wingers, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, two of the most prolific goalscorers in the world. This game will end with a victory for Real Madrid, a team with the most titles in the UEFA Champions League.
Atletico Madrid v. PSV Eindhoven
Rounding off the Round of 16 is the Spanish side against the Dutch side. Atletico Madrid will want to make a return trip to the finals after a devastating 4-1 loss to Real Madrid in the finals a couple of years back. PSV will hope to derail them but definitely have their work cut out for them. This will be a closer match than what is expected but I still believe a PSV doesn’t stand a chance against a healthy and confident Atletico Madrid team.
Benfica v. Zenit St. Petersburg
The first matchup kicks off things in an interesting fashion and includes teams who are the best in their respective countries. Benfica won the Primeira Liga in Portugal in the 2014-2015 season while Zenit championed the Russian Premier League in the same season. Zenit features the tank of a man in the winger Hulk (yes, he is nicknamed after the superhero.) Hulk was the top scorer in the Russian Premier League last season. Benfica has an equally as strong attacker in the form of Jonas Oliveira. Jonas has been on fire ever since signing with Benfica and shows no sign of slowing down. It will be an exciting and goal-filled matchup but Zenit will move on through into the next round.
KAA Gent v. VfL Wolfsburg
KAA Gent was not even expected to get past the group stage of the tournament. Their group featured teams that would seem a bit too insurmountable for the Belgium side. Nonetheless, KAA Gent overcame the tough group and managed to squeak into the Round of 16. Unfortunately for them though they were matched up against the second-best team in the Bundesliga, VfL. Wolfsburg. Wolfsburg has a very well-rounded roster and will eliminate the smaller club from the competition.
Dynamo Kyiv v. Manchester City
Dynamo Kyiv have been having a Cinderella sort of season in the Champions League. Sadly for them, this run will come to an end in the Round of 16. Manchester City has world-class players in every position, including the controlling center-back, Vincent Kompany. Even a healthy Dynamo Kyiv side can’t overcome a Manchester City team plagued by injuries. Dynamo Kyiv will be hoping for a miracle to win this contest.
