For the last time ever in this current format, a Champions League round of 16 draw took place on Monday 18 December, 2023.
While we certainly won’t miss the unnecessary pre-amble, the ex-pros struggling to say team names, or the ex-pros struggling to open the little star-covered balls to reveal the drawn team (we perhaps will miss that actually), what we will miss is the excitement of seeing two top sides being drawn against one another – knowing that we’re going to witness two legs of majestic football at the start of new year.
This year, as it always has, the round of 16 draw has thrown up some cracking ties.
Here’s how fans reacted to the draw on X:
Having waltzed through their group relatively unscathed, Arsenal were rewarded with a last 16 tie against Portuguese outfit Porto.
And it’s fair to say that Gunners fans were pretty pleased with the draw…
That should be easy for Arsenal
— ManLikeArséne (@KiddyYusuf) December 18, 2023
That was a sweet draw… Porto vs Arsenal
— BöD£ 🇳🇬🇬🇧 (@buddie_LXG) December 18, 2023
While Arsenal fans were thrilled with their draw, Barca fans were less so with theirs.
La Blaugrana, struggling to find any sort of form in recent weeks, have been drawn against one of the better teams in the runners-up pot, Napoli.
Jesus Christ of Nazareth, damnnnit
No club world cup for Barcelona.
— Deji (@youfoundbepo) December 18, 2023
With the way you are playing now just save us the embarrassment and get out at this stage
— 👨🏾🚀 (@ItzEliInit) December 18, 2023
While Barca are enduring a woeful run of form, some fans were quite optimistic of making light work of the Serie A title-holders…
Barcelona draw Napoli, I’ll actually take that.
Thoughts?
— Neal 🇦🇺 (@NealGardner_) December 18, 2023
Some fans were also just pleased to be in the draw at all, having not seen Barcelona at this stage in the Champions League in quite a while.
First KO stages draw with a Fubo Club Barcelona ball in the pot in 3 years pic.twitter.com/Nqcu62LFGz
— p (@cIayboiprati) December 18, 2023
Man City being drawn against the ‘easiest’ teams in the Champions League is well known meme on social media at this stage, and this season’s draw did little to prove it wrong.
As predicted by many, the treble winners are set to meet a team who will be playing in the Champions League knockout rounds for the first time in their history in the last 16 – Copenhagen.
X’s response? ‘Go figure’.
Man City vs Copenhagen is the worst yet most predictable draw of all time
— Alex (@EuroExpert_) December 18, 2023
Man City get Copenhagen pic.twitter.com/b4GxbW3888
— Debaroop 🔴⚪ (@debaroop_AFC2) December 18, 2023
Along with Manchester City, PSG were perhaps the happiest of the the last 16 sides with their draw.
Despite only finishing as their group’s runners-up, the Ligue 1 champions managed to avoid all of the big hitters left in the competition; instead being drawn against Real Sociedad.
Copenhagen vs City and PSG get the one easy team they can get. These draws…
— Mark Goldbridge (@markgoldbridge) December 18, 2023
While some X users felt that it was an easy tie, others (more informed ones) made the point that Sociedad’s tactical set-up has the capacity to hurt PSG…
I really don’t consider la Real Sociedad as a good draw for PSG! The way they press, the way they play, their intensity…
— Julien Laurens (@LaurensJulien) December 18, 2023
John Terry’s pick to win the Champions League this season, Real Madrid are set to meet Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig in the round of 16.
Madrid fans are, expectedly, very confident of a win over Leipzig, with roughly 100,000,000 X users all having the same reaction to the draw.
‘Easy’:
Easy 🤍
— YM BURNER 💡 (@ym_burner1) December 18, 2023
Easy win 💪🏻
— Saeed🍁 (@iamsid_b) December 18, 2023
Easy
— 𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐊 (@Maleekback) December 18, 2023
Will be an easy win for Real Madrid
— Dé Milimo (@dmilimoh) December 18, 2023
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