Min-jae Kim (29) and Bayern Munich must face Bayer Leverkusen once again. The two teams will clash in a domestic battle in the round of 16 of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League (UCL).
UEFA held the draw for the 2024-2025 season UCL round of 16, quarterfinals, and semifinals at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland, on the 21st (Korean time).
The teams advancing to the round of 16 in this tournament include Arsenal, Aston Villa, Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona, Bayern, SL Benfica, Club Brugge, Feyenoord, Inter Milan, Bayer Leverkusen, LOSC Lille, Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), PSV Eindhoven, and Real Madrid.
In the first match, Club Brugge met Villa, and Dortmund clashed with Lille. Then the "Madrid Derby" was formed, with Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid facing off for a ticket to the UCL quarterfinals.
Min-jae Kim's Bayern is facing a tough opponent as well. They will be up against Leverkusen, with whom they recently managed to secure a 0-0 draw. This is a matchup between Bundesliga leader Bayern and second-placed Leverkusen. Bayern carries the burden of never having defeated Leverkusen since Xabi Alonso took charge in 2022.
Other "Korean league players" also could not avoid difficult matchups. Hwang In-beom's Feyenoord faced Inter Milan. Having already defeated AC Milan to reach this stage, Feyenoord now has to overcome another Milan team. Similarly, the Dutch team Eindhoven will meet Arsenal.
Lee Kang-in's PSG will clash with strong "title contender" Liverpool. This is a matchup between the Ligue 1 leader and the Premier League leader. Lastly, Benfica will face Barcelona.
Meanwhile, the UCL round of 16 will be held in a home-and-away format. The first leg will take place in the first week of March, and the second leg will be held in the second week during the week.
[2024-2025 season UCL round of 16 matchups]
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Liverpool
Club Brugge vs. Aston Villa
Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid
PSV Eindhoven vs. Arsenal
SL Benfica vs. Barcelona
Borussia Dortmund vs. LOSC Lille
Bayern Munich vs. Bayer Leverkusen
Feyenoord vs. Inter Milan
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