Champions League round of 16: meet the qualified teams
Wednesday 11 December 2019
Atlético Madrid and Atalanta have completed the line-up for Monday’s round of 16 draw: we profile the contenders.
The 16 contenders heading for Monday’s draw
The 16 contenders heading for Monday’s draw
©UEFA.com
Group winners (seeded): Barcelona (ESP), Bayern München (GER), Juventus (ITA), Leipzig (GER), Liverpool (ENG, holders), Manchester City (ENG), Paris Saint-Germain (FRA), Valencia (ESP)
Group runners-up (unseeded): Atalanta (ITA), Atlético Madrid (ESP), Borussia Dortmund (GER), Chelsea (ENG), Lyon (FRA), Napoli (ITA), Real Madrid (ESP), Tottenham Hotspur (ENG)
Round of 16 draw explained: 12:00 CET on Monday
Round of 16 first legs start on 18 February
How the group stage tables finished
Road to Istanbul final on 30 May: calendar
Atalanta (ITA)
UEFA ranking: 56
Group stage: W2 D1 L3 F8 A12
Top scorer: Mario Pašalić (2)
Last season: UEFA Europa League play-offs
European Cup best: round of 16 (2020)
Atalanta (ITA)
Who’s in charge?: Gian Piero Gasperini led Atalanta back into Europe for the first time in 26 years in the 2017/18 season. He was made an honorary citizen of Bergamo after securing their first shot at the UEFA Champions League this term.
Their campaign in ten words: Lost first three group stage games; rallied to make knockouts
Atlético Madrid (ESP)
UEFA ranking: 4
Group stage: W3 D1 L2 F8 A5
Top scorer: João Félix, Álvaro Morata (2)
Last season: round of 16
European Cup best: runners-up (1974, 2014, 2016)
Who’s in charge?: Diego Simeone refashioned Atlético in his own rugged image after rejoining the club as coach in 2011. The Argentinian has steered them to two UEFA Europa League triumphs and two UEFA Champions League finals, plus a Liga title and a cup.
Their campaign in ten words: Goals are rarer without Griezmann, but determined Atlético soldier on
Barcelona (ESP)
Highlights: Inter 1-2 Barcelona
Highlights: Inter 1-2 Barcelona
UEFA ranking: 2
Group stage: W4 D2 L0 F9 A4
Top scorer: Luis Suárez (3)
Last season: semi-finals
European Cup best: winners x5 (1992, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2015)
Who’s in charge?: Ex-Barcelona forward Ernesto Valverde has been in charge since 2017; he has led the club to back-to-back Spanish titles, but a perceived lack of UEFA Champions League success has undermined him somewhat.
Their campaign in ten words: Jury still out on Griezmann-Messi-Suárez trident up front
Bayern München (GER)
UEFA ranking: 3
Group stage: W6 D0 L0 F24 A5
Top scorer: Robert Lewandowski (10)
Last season: round of 16
European Cup best: winners x5 (1974, 1975, 1976, 2001, 2013)
Who’s in charge?: Ex-Germany assistant Hans-Dieter Flick has been in interim command since early November. Jupp Heynckes is urging his old club to secure a longer deal with this “gem of a coach”, with Bayern looking more at ease under him.
Their campaign in ten words: Group stage top scorers, Lewandowski on fire: crisis, what crisis?
Borussia Dortmund (GER)
Highlights: Dortmund 2-1 Slavia Praha
Highlights: Dortmund 2-1 Slavia Praha
UEFA ranking: 14
Group stage: W3 D1 L2 F8 A8
Top scorer: Achraf Hakimi (4)
Last season: round of 16
European Cup best: winners (1997)
Who’s in charge?: Hired by Dortmund in 2018, Lucien Favre has a reputation for reviving struggling clubs with stylish football. He ended Zürich’s long wait for Swiss championships, and then brought good times to Hertha, Mönchengladbach and Nice.
Their campaign in ten words: Outranked Inter to finish behind Barcelona in a tough group
Chelsea (ENG)
UEFA ranking: 13
Group stage: W3 D2 L1 F11 A9
Top scorers: Tammy Abraham, César Azpilicueta, Jorginho (2)
Last season: UEFA Europa League winners
European Cup best: winners (2012)
Who’s in charge?: A club great, Frank Lampard landed three titles, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League as a Chelsea midfielder. He was reunited with the Blues as manager last summer and – at 41 – is learning on the job.
Their campaign in ten words: Ups and downs as Lampard gives younger players a chance
Juventus (ITA)
Highlights: Leverkusen 0-2 Juventus
Highlights: Leverkusen 0-2 Juventus
UEFA ranking: 5
Group stage: W5 D1 L0 F12 A4
Top scorer: Paulo Dybala (3)
Last season: quarter-finals
European Cup best: winners x2 (1985, 1996)
Who’s in charge?: Ex-Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri was installed in the summer after steering Chelsea to UEFA Europa League glory last May. The inventor of the high-pressing ‘Sarri-ball’ style, his relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo has come under close inspection.
Their campaign in ten words: Solid performances, respectable results, but Ronaldo not at his sharpest
Leipzig (GER)
UEFA ranking: 37
Group stage: W3 D2 L1 F10 A8
Top scorers: Emil Forsberg, Marcel Sabitzer, Timo Werner (2)
Last season: UEFA Europa League group stage
European Cup best: round of 16 (2020)
Who’s in charge?: A centre-back whose career was ruined by injury, Julian Nagelsmann is a seasoned Champions League coach at 32; hired by Leipzig in summer 2019, he had made it to the 2018/19 group stage with Hoffenheim.
Their campaign in ten words: Bundesliga upstarts reach last 16 for first time; respect due
Lyon (FRA)
Highlights: Lyon 2-2 Leipzig
Highlights: Lyon 2-2 Leipzig
UEFA ranking: 17
Group stage: W2 D2 L2 F9 A8
Top scorer: Memphis Depay (5)
Last season: round of 16
European Cup best: semi-finals (2010)
Who’s in charge?: Rudi Garcia nurtured Eden Hazard and picked up a French title at LOSC, then did respectably with Roma and took Marseille to the 2018 UEFA Europa League final. He was installed by OL in October to replace Sylvinho.
Their campaign in ten words: Steady home form and sensational win at Leipzig the keys
Liverpool (ENG, holders)
UEFA ranking: 8
Group stage: W4 D1 L1 F13 A8
Top scorer: Mohamed Salah (4)
Last season: winners
European Cup best: winners (1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005, 2019)
Who’s in charge?: Master of the press and counter-press, Jürgen Klopp established his coaching reputation in Germany with Mainz and Dortmund. Headhunted by Liverpool in 2015, he directed them to UEFA Champions League glory last season.
Their campaign in ten words: Napoli proved a handful, but the European champions progressed regardless
Manchester City (ENG)
Highlights: Dinamo Zagreb 1-4 Man. City
Highlights: Dinamo Zagreb 1-4 Man. City
UEFA ranking: 6
Group stage: W4 D2 L0 F16 A4
Top scorer: Raheem Sterling (5)
Last season: quarter-finals
European Cup best: semi-finals (2016)
Who’s in charge?: In 11 seasons as a first-team boss, Pep Guardiola has lifted eight league titles: three at Barcelona, three at Bayern and two at City. However, he claimed the last of his two managerial UEFA Champions League winners’ medals in 2011.
Their campaign in ten words: Sterling on fire, but City lack their usual killer instinct
Napoli (ITA)
UEFA ranking: 15
Group stage: W3 D3 L0 F11 A4
Top scorer: Dries Mertens (5)
Last season: group stage (progressed to UEFA Europa League quarter-finals)
European Cup best: round of 16 (2012, 2017)
Who’s in charge?: Carlo Ancelotti was at the helm for the group stage but departed the night they went through.
Their campaign in ten words: Took four points off Liverpool; struggled more against lesser teams
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
Highlights: Paris 5-0 Galatasaray
Highlights: Paris 5-0 Galatasaray
UEFA ranking: 7
Group stage: W5 D1 L0 F17 A2
Top scorer: Mauro Icardi, Kylian Mbappé (5)
Last season: round of 16
European Cup best: semi-finals (1995)
Who’s in charge?: Having succeeded Klopp at Mainz and then Dortmund, Thomas Tuchel has proved that he can be a winner at Paris: an immediate championship since his arrival in 2018, but no great leap forward in Europe just yet.
Their campaign in ten words: Mbappé sparkles in Neymar’s absence, but knockouts are the key
Real Madrid (ESP)
UEFA ranking: 1
Group stage: W3 D2 L1 F14 A8
Top scorers: Karim Benzema, Rodrygo (4)
Last season: round of 16
European Cup best: winners x 13 (1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018)
Who’s in charge?: Re-hired in 2019, Zinédine Zidane has won the UEFA Champions League four times with Real Madrid: once as a player, three times as coach. After a lean spell, Sergio Ramos said the squad were “committed to Zizou until death”.
Their campaign in ten words: Following a shaky start, Zidane’s rejigged Madrid are looking good
Tottenham Hotspur (ENG)
Highlights: Bayern 3-1 Tottenham
Highlights: Bayern 3-1 Tottenham
UEFA ranking: 12
Group stage: W3 D1 L2 F18 A14
Top scorer: Harry Kane (6)
Last season: runners-up
European Cup best: runners-up (2019)
Who’s in charge?: A European champion with Porto and Inter, José Mourinho replaced Mauricio Pochettino in November. ‘The Special One’ has much to prove in north London after an underwhelming spell in charge of Manchester United.
Their campaign in ten words: Leaky defence, killer attack; can Mourinho fix 2019’s losing finalists?
Valencia (ESP)
UEFA ranking: 25
Group stage: W3 D2 L1 F9 A7
Top scorer: Rodrigo (2)
Last season: group stage (progressed to UEFA Europa League semi-finals)
European Cup best: runners-up (2000, 2001)
Who’s in charge?: A defensive midfielder, Albert Celades played for Barcelona and Real Madrid, then specialised in youth coaching. Previously assistant coach at Real Madrid, he was appointed by Valencia in September – his first senior club job.
Their campaign in ten words: Battled through a competitive group including Chelsea, Ajax and Lyon