On December 14, 2015, the draw for the first round of the playoffs of the most prestigious club tournament of the Old World took place. The rivals in the 1/8 finals of the 2015-2016 Champions League were awaited by sixteen clubs that successfully overcame the group stage of the tournament.
According to the UEFA Champions League regulations, the clubs that take the first two places in the eight quartets of the group stage take part in the 1/8 finals. At the same time, the team from the first place in the group in the first round of elimination matches had to meet with the club from the second position from another quartet. Another feature of this season's draw: Zenit St. Petersburg, which to the delight of Russian football fans won first place in its group, could not get into the 1/8 finals at Dynamo Kiev. Also could not play against each other in 1/8 Manchester City and Arsenal and Chelsea at Arsenal, as teams representing the same football federation.
According to the results of the draw, the first pair of the 1/8 finals seems to be the least strong. Club "Gent", sensationally released into the playoffs, meets with the offender of the Moscow "army" German "Wolfsburg". In this confrontation, the Germans look like favorites, but in the group stage matches "Gent" proved its worth, defeating opponents known throughout Europe. And the champions of Belgium are all right with their athletic character, and this means a lot in sports …
The next pair is a striking sign of the Italo-Spanish confrontation. The Roman “Roma”, which is experiencing certain game problems at this time (there are obvious problems with the organization of the game in almost all lines), will have to face one of the strongest clubs of our time - the royal club Real Madrid. It seems that the full house at the Olimpico stadium is guaranteed, because in recent years, "creamy" are not such frequent guests at the Olympic Stadium in the capital of Italy.
Many fans and spectators are already used to the next pair of opponents in the decisive matches of the Champions League. The club from the capital of France PSG will again meet with London's Chelsea. This confrontation has become a kind of classic in the playoffs of the last two years of the prestigious European Cup. The French managed to knock out the British last season at the same stage, but it is difficult to imagine what awaits football fans this spring, because two years ago it was the London “pensioners” who were able to defeat the Parisians.
Another interesting pair, formed as a result of the sports lot, was the opposition of Arsenal to Barcelona. In recent years, these teams have also met more than once. The advantage was on the side of the Catalan club. Although Barça is widely recognized as the main favorite of the current tournament, Wenger's players may well surprise, because the Londoners show quite meaningful football within the framework of the domestic championship, which is reflected in the team's position at the top of the standings.
Unlucky with the draw for the champions of Italy for the last four years. Turin "Juventus" will once again face off against the Munich grand - "Bavaria". These rivals have already met in the quarterfinals a few years ago. Then the Germans prevailed in two matches. A separate intrigue in this pair: the main transfer of the Bianconerry was carried out to Munich. Thus, Arturo Vidal and the young promising striker Kingsley Coman, who now successfully defend the colors of multiple champions of Germany, have left Juventus.
The fifth pair of the Champions League 1/8 finals 2015-2016: PSV Eindhoven - Atlético Madrid. At the moment, it is the Spaniards who seem to be the favorites in this pair. However, it is worth remembering that the Dutch won three victories at home in the group stage, beating such serious rivals as Manchester United, Wolfsburg and CSKA on the way to the second place in the group. So Madrid won't be able to easily pass Koku's charges.
Russian "Zenith" had to keep company in the seventh pair of matches of the 1/8 finals of the main club tournament in Europe, Portuguese "Benfica". This is not the first time that the St. Petersburg club has had the honor of meeting the Lisbon grandee in the Champions League matches at the stage of the decisive rounds. Initially, the teams seem to be equal, but the Russian club has its own advantage: Zenit will play the return match at their home arena in Petrovsky.
The final pair was the confrontation between the Ukrainian grandee and the Manchester grandee. Dynamo (Kiev) and Manchester City will clash for the right to qualify for the quarterfinals of the competition. "Dynamo" in many ways sensationally advanced to the stage of 1/8 finals. Now they have to face the winner of the "group of death" of the current Champions League.
