UCL: What to look out in the second round of matches
Mouth-watering ties including Inter versus Atlético de Madrid and Napoli against Barcelona are among the choice cuts as the UEFA Champions League knockout stage continues.
Here are some key talking points ahead of the second week of round of 16 first legs.
Tuesday 20 February
Inter vs Atlético de Madrid
PSV vs Dortmund
Wednesday 21 February
Porto vs Arsenal
Napoli vs Barcelona
All kick-offs 21:00 CET
Simeone set to bring up century
Diego Simeone will be the centre of attention when he returns to Inter and the Stadio San Siro. The Atlético coach spent two years with the Nerazzurri as a player, winning the UEFA Cup in 1997/98. As if that emotional return is not enough, this first leg will be Simeone’s 100th Champions League game as a coach, making him the ninth man to reach the landmark.
The Italian side will be eyeing history of their own on Tuesday, though. Last season’s runners-up have now scored a total of 298 goals in the European Cup/Champions League (including qualifying) and the relentless Lautaro Martínez will be a good bet to push them to the 300 mark. Those goals may be crucial too, given Inter have won only two of their last 16 UEFA club competition matches against Spanish teams (D4 L10).
In-form pair meet in Eindhoven
It has been quite a season for PSV so far, with the club making it into the round of 16 of the Champions League for the first time since 2015/16 and falling just one match short of becoming the first Dutch top-flight team to start the season with 18 straight league victories. Peter Bosz’s men are unbeaten at home this term and, ominously for Dortmund, PSV have lost only three of their last-16 first-leg matches in UEFA club competition (W8 D5).
However, the visitors are in fine form too, the draw with Paris on Matchday 6 which confirmed their progress from a very tough section kicking off an eight-game unbeaten streak ahead of their trip to Wolfsburg on Saturday. Edin Terzić has also bolstered his ranks since the group stage, with Jadon Sancho adding vibrancy in attack and Ian Maatsen being voted the Bundesliga Rookie of the Month following his January loan move.
Evanilson to prey on Arsenal nerves?
Porto will draw comfort from the fact they overcame a star-studded Arsenal side in the first leg at this stage back in 2010, thanks in no small part to the brilliance of Radamel Falcao. They have a striker in a similarly rich vein of form this time around too in Evanilson. Having struck four times in their group stage games against Antwerp, the forward has started 2024 with a bang as well, finding the net eight times in his last six outings before their weekend game.
The good news for Arsenal is that they are in the Champions League knockout stage for the first time since 2016/17. The bad news is that they have lost their last six first-leg matches in the round of 16 and their last seven ties overall at this stage of Europe’s premier club competition – records Mikel Arteta’s men will be desperate to consign to history.
Turning point in Naples?
Rewind 12 months and both Napoli and Barcelona were riding the crest of a wave, with both striding towards domestic titles. Things look decidedly different now, however. Monday’s appointment of Francesco Calzona makes him their third coach of the season following Rudi Garcia and Walter Mazzarri, with the Partenopei inconsistent and in danger of missing out on European football altogether next season.
Barcelona, meanwhile, are leaking goals, off the pace in the Spanish title race and coach Xavi Hernández has announced he will leave the club at the end of the season. There is cause for optimism in the emergence of new signing Vitor Roque and the increasing influence of young ace Lamine Yamal, and both could be significant in a tie that seems too close to call on paper.
The second legs of the round of 16 ties start on 5 March, with Bayern and Real Sociedad looking to overturn deficits on the opening night.
The Arsenal versus Porto and Barcelona against Napoli return games take place on 12 March, with Atlético facing Inter and Dortmund hosting PSV the following night.
The quarter-final and semi-final draws take place on 15 March.
