Mourinho, Pep, Chelsea and the winners and losers of the Champions League last-16 draw

Goal takes a look at those who will be feeling positive after the draw for the first knockout round, and those who have cause for concern
The draw for the last 16 of the Champions League was made in Nyon on Monday. And, as ever, it has thrown up some intriguing, and mouth-watering, ties.

Who will be dancing with delight? Who will be crying into their beers? And whose fans are already looking forward to their next European adventure?

Winners: Fans of underdog stories
There will be at least one unfancied side in the last eight after Atalanta, last-16 debutants, were drawn against Valencia. In a year when all of the teams in the knockout stage come from Europe’s top five leagues, this is about as close to an underdog tale as you’ll get.


Valencia, eighth in La Liga at present, won a group which included Chelsea so will fancy their chances against Gian Piero Gasperini’s side, who nonetheless showed enough against Manchester City to suggest that they will provide some danger. Either way, we will see a relatively new face in the quarter-finals.

Winners: The broadcasters
The TV companies will be laughing. Take your pick from the plum ties. Real Madrid versus Manchester City is the standout, but Atletico Madrid versus Liverpool, Chelsea versus Bayern and Borussia Dortmund versus PSG all look mouth-watering too. Even Spurs versus RB Leipzig, while not a clash between two traditional European powerhouses, will be an intriguing contest between two talented, energetic sides.

Reports recently have suggested that viewing figures for Champions League games, across the globe, have been falling. This should give them a welcome shot in the arm. Armchair fans are in for a treat in the New Year.

Winners: Jose Mourinho and Spurs
Coming second in the group, Tottenham could have found themselves facing the likes of PSG, Juventus or Barcelona. Instead, they drew Leipzig, relative newcomers to the European scene. The Bundesliga outfit are a handy side, of course, and in Timo Werner they have one of Europe’s hottest, and most wanted, strikers. Julian Nagelsmann’s men are no mugs, that’s for sure.

But if Jose Mourinho had been asked, he’d have taken this draw. He’ll certainly be confident of getting last year’s finalists into the last eight. And we know all about Jose and this competition, especially when he’s seen as an underdog.





GOAL