FC Bayern Munich wants the title in the Champions League – and has the lot happiness on his side on the way: Instead of Manchester City, Celtic Glasgow becomes the opponent in the intermediate round. Borussia Dortmund meets Sporting Lisbon.
After the monstrous final of the group phase with 18 parallel games, the draw continued, as has continued in the premier class, which has had a changed mode since this season.
It had already been stated that FC Bayern would meet Manchester City or Celtic Glasgow – and the German record champion escaped the first really difficult task. Instead of his ex-club, Vincent Kompany meets Celtic in his first international co-duel as a Bayern coach. For this, Real Madrid caught the top duel with Manchester City.
At Borussia Dortmund, the second Bundesliga team, which is included in the playoffs, the decision between Sporting Lisbon and FC Bruges fell – and it has become sporting.
The intermediate round of the Champions League at an overview
- FC Bruges against Atalanta Bergamo
- Sporting Lisbon against Borussia Dortmund
- Manchester City against Real Madrid
- Celtic Glasgow against FC Bayern Munich
- Juventus Turin against PSV Eindhoven
- Feyenoord Rotterdam against AC Milan
- Stade Brest against Paris St. Germain
- As Monaco against Benfica Lisbon
Leverkusen is probably waiting for one of the top teams
While VfB Stuttgart and RB Leipzig left, Bayer Leverkusen also looked excitedly at Bayern’s draw. The “Werkself”, which it had made directly into the round of 16, will not know who it will meet in the round of the last 16, but her possible opponent comes from the Bayern quartet. In addition to Munich, it could be City, Real Madrid or Celtic.
Dortmund would meet Aston Villa from the Premier League or the French surprise team OSC Lille in the event of a progress in the round of 16.
What’s next after the draw?
The eight winners reach the round of 16, for which the teams of the first eight table positions are already qualified. On February 21st, the same principle is drawn (table places in brackets):
- One of the two winners from Monaco against Benfica or Brest against PSG meets FC Liverpool (1) or FC Barcelona (2)
- One of the two winners from Sporting against Dortmund Or Bruges against Bergamo meets OSC Lille (7) or Aston Villa (8)
- One of the two winners from Celtic against Bavaria Or you hit City against Real Madrid on Atlético Madrid (5) or Leverkusen (6)
- One of the two winners from Feyenoord Rotterdam against AC Milan or Juventus Turin Geschem PSV Eindhoven meets Arsenal (3) or Inter Milan (4)
Here the teams of places 1 to 8 have home rights in the second leg. For the quarter -finals and the semi -finals, the home right will also be drawn on February 21.
Why all of this?
The new mode is part of the reform of the European Cup in the 2024/25 season. The UEFA wanted to counter the trend that many decisions had already been made in the groups before the last matchday. The new format brings excitement into the last matchday. But there were also teams in the new format, for which there is nothing more and play without any meaning like the game between Sturm Graz and RB Leipzig.
When will the remaining games be played?
- Intermediate round: 11./12. February and 18./19. February
- Right -wing finals: 4./5. March and 11th/12th March
- Quarter -finals: 8./9. April and 15./16. April
- Semi -finals: 29./30. April and 6th/7th May
- Final game in Munich: May 31
View of the stadium in Munich
“Lot pairs” – what was that supposed to do?
The system of the “lot pairs” prevents a team from trying to qualify for a supposedly lighter side of the tournament tree.
The principle also leaves an organizational back door in the three European competitions if politically prohibited games are to be excluded. This applies, for example, to encounters between teams from Azerbaijan and Armenia or from Kosovo and Serbia.