Nigerian stars Victor Boniface, Nathan Tella, Raphael Onyedika, and Chuba Akpom have discovered their Champions League Round of 16 opponents following the draw at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyom, Switzerland.
The draw, which took place on Friday morning, also revealed the teams’ potential paths to the finals, as the quarterfinals and semifinals were drawn simultaneously.
The Round of 16 matchups feature several intriguing clashes, including an all-German affair between Boniface and Tella’s Bayer Leverkusen, and Bayern Munich. Meanwhile, Chuba Akpom’s Lille will face Borussia Dortmund, another German side, and Raphael Onyedika’s Club Brugge will take on Aston Villa.
Bayer Leverkusen secured their spot in the Round of 16 by finishing sixth in the league phase, with five wins in eight matches. In contrast, their opponents Bayern Munich entered the playoffs after finishing 12th with 15 points and then eliminated Celtic 3-2 on aggregate. The winner of the tie will face either Feyenoord or Inter Milan in the quarterfinals.
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On the other hand, Raphael Onyedika’s Club Brugge required a playoff victory over Atalanta to reach the Round of 16, which they achieved with impressive wins both home and away.
Their opponents, Aston Villa, surprisingly finished top eight in the league phase with 16 points from eight matches. The winner of the intriguing tie will advance to face either Paris Saint-Germain or Liverpool.
Chuba Akpom, who joined Lille in January, will also participate in the Round of 16 despite not playing for the French side in the league phase as they finished seventh, winning five of their eight games and securing 16 points.
Their opponents, Borussia Dortmund, finished 10th in the league phase before defeating Sporting CP in the playoffs. The winner of the tie will face either Barcelona or Benfica in the quarterfinals.
The Champions League knockout phase schedule has also been set, with the Round of 16 first legs taking place on March 4-5 and the second legs on March 11-12. The quarterfinals will follow, with the first legs on April 8-9 and the second legs on April 15-16. The semifinals are slated for April 29-30 and May 6-7.
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