Bayern Munich will face Liverpool in the UCL Round of 16
The Champions League round of 16 draw is complete, and Bayern Munich are set to face last year’s finalists, Liverpool.
The Champions League group stage came to an end last week, and there are some brilliant clashes set to take place in the round of 16. Bayern Munich was handed an exciting draw on Monday. They will face Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in the next round, marking the first meeting between these two sides in Champions League history.
The first leg of this fixture is set to take place at Anfield on February 19th, while the second leg will take place on March 13th. Jurgen Klopp has enjoyed some of the best moments of his managerial career against Bayern Munich, making this match-up an undeniably eye-watering prospect.
The Bavarians went into this draw after going unbeaten in their group. Die Roten have struggled in the Bundesliga this season, but they were more than decent in the Champions League. The defensive problems remain a concern, though, as Bayern leaked goals against Ajax. Bayern will have to be at the top of their game going into the next round against this dangerous Liverpool side.
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On the other hand, Liverpool clinched the qualification in a dramatic way last week. Klopp’s side clinched a 1-0 win against Napoli to seal their place in the round of 16. They came very close to clinching the title last season, but they fell short against Real Madrid in the final, losing 3-1. Liverpool is currently involved in a close title race in Premier League, too, holding on to just a one-point lead over Manchester City.
Bayern Munich have had their hearts broken on multiple occasions during the knockout stages of this competition in recent seasons. The Bavarians have reached four semifinals and one quarterfinal since winning the historic treble in 2013.
Bayern came close to clinching a place in the finals of the competition last season, losing their tie against Real Madrid by just one goal. Die Roten have found overwhelming success in the Bundesliga for the past six years, so the Champions League has become an even more important target.
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Liverpool is going to be Niko Kovac’s first major test in Europe. The Croatian manager has endured an up and down first season at Bayern and will have to come up with a tactical masterclass to combat Klopp’s gegenpressing approach. It is surely going to be a fascinating battle between two heavyweights of European soccer.