Champions League 2019/20 Round of 16 First Leg: Live Updates, results, matches
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The Champions League is back and it’s back with its best bit, the knockout stage. A safe place where teams fight to the death over two legs and then move on with no regard for their opponents. It’s brutal, bloodthirsty and brilliantly pits the best of the best against each other in glorious arenas.
When it comes to February, nobody really cares about Valentine's day and such especially when football’s greatest competition, now marred with controversy, returns for another smackdown. It’s the best bit of the Champions League and before we reach that wonderful final in May, the world has to go through the heart-wrenching, tear-jerker that is the knockout stages.
First up to the stage is the round of 16 and this season’s might just be the best ever. Naturally, that is said every single season without fail by someone or the other but this season might actually be the first time they tell the truth, not Manchester City. Why? Because it has not one, not two, not three or even four but eight perfect match-ups.
It’s also been split into two weeks with week 1 giving us Atletico Madrid battling out Liverpool, El Cholo vs Jurgen is something we’ve all dreamed off. It’s the team in transition vs the in transition specialists, it’s Jan Oblak vs Alisson Becker, it’s Fabinho vs Thomas Partey, it’s Diego Costa vs Roberto Firmino and the list goes on and on and on. It’s the perfect start and alongside that is Free-flowing superstar makers Borussia Dortmund vs money-hungry, superstar buyers PSG.
To add to the drama, Thomas Tuchel has crossed the divide or rather Tuchel has left Dortmund with his head hung low (very low) and somehow reached a PSG side that wanted anyone who wasn’t Unai Emery in the Champions League. Tuchel has proved to be just that and more. But that’s before Atalanta face Valencia in the ultimate battle of the underdog.
Nobody expected either side to be here and yet, new year and here we stand or sit. Either way, it’s going to be the greatest game of the round of 16 and we’ve not even gone deep into the schedule. That plays simultaneously as Jose Mourinho and his Tottenham side face what many are calling the next great thing in Julian Naglesmann and how that must tick good ol Jose off!!!
Naturally, the attention will be on Jose with the world hoping that he produces something meme-worthy against the calmer Naglesmann. Don’t get me wrong, RB Leipzig are a rather good side and the game should be an excellent night of football, but what's more, entertaining an in-form Jose or a good football game?
