By Akinwale Kasali
The 2019/2020 UEFA Champions League Draw for the knockout stage was held in Nyon, Switzerland, a few hours ago. Top European Club sides are jostling for the coveted European Club silverware.
2012 Champions, Chelsea of England, will face 2013 Champions, Bayern Munich, at Stanford Bridge, London, for the first leg in the round of 16 clash.
Chelsea came second behind eventual group winners, Valencia Football Club of Spain, while the German top Clubside came top in its group.
Pep Guardiola will return to Spain capital, Madrid, as his club, Manchester City, will face 13-time champions of the coveted trophy, Real Madrid, in the knockout phase.
It will be the second time Coach Zinedine Zidane of Real Madrid will face Guardiola after facing each other in the Champions League when Guardiola was still in the saddle as Bayern Munich coach.
Borussia Dortmund will face Paris Saint Germain of France in another cracker, while defending Champion, Liverpool will face 2015 and 2017 runners-up Atletico Madrid.
Valencia Football Club of Spain faces debutant, Atalanta Football Club of Italy, while Olympique Lyonnais Football Club of France faces Cristiano Ronaldo’s side, Juventus Football Club.
Since 1997, the prestigious European Club trophy has eluded Juventus.
With Massimo Sarri in the saddle as Juventus coach, it may become a reality.
Lionel Messi’s led Barcelona will face Napoli in the knockout phase.
New acquisition, Antoine Griezmann, will be bent in winning the coveted trophy that has eluded him. Having won the FIFA World Cup, Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup, winning the Champions League will be a dream come true after switching to Nou Camp.
Coach Jose Mourinho will lead his new team, Tottenham Hotspurs, to the knockout phase against Leipzig Football Club of Germany.
The 2019 runners-up will be hoping Mourinho surpasses former Coach Mauricio Pochettino’s feat, by winning the trophy for the London Club side.
