Iltalehti analyzes the teams that advanced in the Champions League

The Champions League will now continue as usual with pairs of matches according to the playoff model.

The first matches of the second round are not until mid-February, but there is still plenty to be excited about before then.

The 16 teams that have made it to the next round will be drawn against each other next Monday, so that the group winners will always face the second-placed team of another group. The opening part is always organized at the home field of the second group.

Teams from the same country cannot yet face each other.

Block units:

Bayern Munich

The German giants became the first team in the Champions League to make it through the group stage with a clean sheet in two consecutive years. It remains to be seen if the head coach Julian Nagelsmann also matured into a winner in the European Cup. For its players, it is one of the biggest championship favorites.

Chelsea

There is no comfort coming from Europe this season. In the background of the club, they are still mixing so effectively that you can’t get away from it even on the field. Manager Graham Potter is still far too inexperienced at this level. Scholarships may be paid already in the next round.

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Manchester City

Erling Haaland’s with this, City has removed its only subtle weakness, i.e. unnecessary flaking at the attacking end. The Norwegian rested the last lap, but the manager Pep Guardiola hope he gets back to real action soon. The Catalan coach knows what it takes to win the Champions League. However, the same cannot be said about the players.

Naples

Autumn’s brightest football comet succumbed to the opening defeat of the season in the last round of the Champions League. Even that did not deprive the speed machine of the group victory. 63 years old Luciano Spalletti returned from a long sabbatical to head the Napoli bench. The Blues will bring color to the Euro spring, but they won’t be able to gallop beyond the semi-finals.

Benfica

German Roger Schmidt has awakened the Eagles to dream of lost greatness. Benfica is one of the sleeping giants of Eurofootball and Schmidt has already got the club into a slumber phase. The fierce battle of the final round brought the group victory, which also serves as a warning to others. Underestimating Benfica would be a fatal mistake.

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Porto

Porto kept such a fast pace on the field that the weaker ones started to get dizzy. It was almost impossible to see no less than three Lusitanian gangs in the top 16. Dragons are the most seasoned to succeed, and Sérgio Conceição with a lead, it may very well surprise even bigger ones. There are not enough snacks until the very end.

Real Madrid

Phew, it’s hard to think of any reason why Real Madrid wouldn’t win the Champions League. The Whites are now clearly a better team than last spring, and no Luka Modric, Karim Benzema and Toni Kroos never get enough of European Cups. But surely some statistic or other probability speaks against the winning streak of the Spanish giant?

Tottenham

Tottenham does not leave its supporters cold. In the end, it rallied in Marseille during the latter 45 minutes to victory and first place in the group. Antonio Conte however, the euro statistics are so miserable that the team cannot be promised a long adventure. The road can rise up already in the next round.

Group runners-up

AC Milan

Of course, the Rossoneri have the historical right to even dream of a place in the final. Unfortunately, only the San Siro will be demolished before the seven-time European Cup winner gets to pursue the big prize next time. Depending on the luck of the draw, the picker comes either in the next round or in the quarterfinals at the latest.

PSG

Or now? The World Cup is about to be played in Qatar and the same human rights problems are also haunting the Parisian club in the background. However, PSG gets to the field without any fanfare and the head coach Christophe Galtier wishes his luxury trio (Kylian Mbappé, Leo Messi, Neymar) will make the Parisians to the top of Europe for the first time.

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Borussia Dortmund

Kelmutustat secured his next place even before the final round. It is good for European football that the Champions League playoffs will be played again at the Westfalenstadion, but unfortunately the joy threatens to be short-lived. It’s hard to see Dortmund being able to challenge the group winners in a two-part match. Especially when the solution part is taken to the away field.

Club Brugge

Autumn’s biggest surprise can continue its sensationalism if someone underestimates Sinimusti. Of course, Brugge gave up the group victory a little too easily to Porto, which may backfire right away in the first playoff round. It would be a shame because Barça outcast Ferran Jutglàn would have liked to watch more excerpts.

Eintracht Frankfurt

They narrowly continued with their victory over Sporting in the last round, but at the same time, it seems that the Europa League winner’s food was eaten. The team is understandably not at the level of last spring, and the opponents have also managed to eliminate the ticket quota of the dreaded fan horde. The desired opponent in the first round of the playoffs?

Inter

It all depends on how head coach Simone Inzaghi uses the upcoming winter break. Inter have the potential to go much further, but the team should be firing on all cylinders. The condition is also crucial Lautaro Martínez and Romelu Lukaku are returning from the World Cup in Qatar.

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Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp’s the problems are so big that the German certainly won’t have time to pay attention to the European games for the next few months. Pool washed its face a bit in the last round, but as the second in the group, it is no longer among the big favorites of the race. A lot has to happen in order for the Reds to renew their place in the finals from last spring. You have to push yourself even to the quarterfinals.

RB Leipzig

The Red Bull empire suffered a setback when the owner Dietrich Mateschitz died of pancreatic cancer. At this stage, no one knows yet how the inheritance will be divided, and whether it will somehow affect the energy drink giant’s algae-based financial policy. The head coach Marco Rose has to create in the midst of uncertainty. The fear is that the players will need to look for a way out already in the January transfer window.