Liverpool draw Real Madrid in Champions League last 16 in repeat of last season’s final
The Reds were beaten 1-0 by Real Madrid in the Paris final and their last-16 tie was the pick of the draw, as Tottenham face Milan, Chelsea play Dortmund and Man City take on RB Leipzig
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Your support makes all the difference.Liverpool will face Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16, in a repeat of last season’s final.
Real Madrid beat Liverpool 1-0 in Paris in June to win their 14th title, as Vinicius Junior’s winner ended Jurgen Klopp’s hopes of lifting the Champions League for the second time as manager.
Tottenham will play Italian champions AC Milan in their first Champions League knockout match in three seasons, Chelsea were paired with Borussia Dortmund while Manchester City also drew German opposition in RB Leipzig.
Elsewhere, Paris Saint-Germain must face Bayern Munich and in-form Napoli were handed a tie against Europe League winners Eintracht Frankfurt. Inter Milan take on Porto as the other Portuguese side in the draw, Benfica, play Club Brugge.
But the rematch of last season’s final was the pick of the ties, and offers Liverpool a chance for revenge against the Spanish champions. Real Madrid also defeated Klopp’s Liverpool in the 2018 final, while Carlo Ancelotti’s team knocked out Liverpool in the 2020/21 season at the quarter-final stage.
The Reds were the only Premier League team to come second in their group this season, with Klopp’s side finishing behind Napoli, meaning they would play a seeded opponent in the knockouts. Holders Real Madrid, who also beat PSG, Chelsea and City on their title winning campaign last season, were the team to avoid in pot one.
Liverpool’s run to the Champions League final last season came as part of their quadruple bid, only to lose out on the Premier League title to Manchester City and suffer defeat to Madrid in Paris.
Since then, Liverpool have struggled domestically but some of their best performances have come in Europe - apart from the 4-1 defeat to Napoli in their opening fixture that ultimately sealed their fate.
Liverpool will be at Anfield in the first leg before travelling to the Bernabeu in the return fixture.
The last-16 first legs will take place across 14-15 and 21-22 February, with the second legs set to be played over 7-8 and 14-15 March.
Full Champions League last 16 draw
RB Leipzig vs Manchester City
Club Brugge vs Benfica
Liverpool vs Real Madrid
AC Milan vs Tottenham
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Napoli
Borussia Dortmund vs Chelsea
Inter Milan vs Porto
PSG vs Bayern Munich
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