Topic: Champions League last 16 draw - Monday 7 November 11:00 GMT

[BoRed]

Now that we're through to the last 16, it's time to speculate on who we'll face next.

As it stands, assuming we don't beat Napoli by four or more goals, we will have either four or five possible opponents heading into the draw. Of the group winners, we can't play Napoli, Chelsea or City, meaning we'll face one of the following:

Group B - Club Brugge or Porto
Group C - Bayern
Group D - Sporting, Eintracht or Marseille (or no one if Spurs win the group)
Group F - Real Madrid or Leipzig (almost certainly Real Madrid)
Group H - PSG or Benfica

Obviously, Bayern and Real would be the teams to avoid, but there's every chance Benfica might win group H ahead of PSG, which would help our cause. PSG go to Juventus on the final day, and Juve might need a result there to make it into Europa League. Spurs spursing it would definitely help, too.

And if we do beat Napoli by four goals next week, ignore all of the above.

[shank94]

I have been craving Real every single time but they always god damn beat us, so hell yeah give me Real again but with a fully fit squad pls. My life's best serotonin level will not be fulfilled until I see the Reds beat Real again once after 09. 

[End Product]

Madrid the ones to avoid, and psg as no one wants to visit there soon, bayern would suit us under the zara catologue  fella, and any of others would be very handy draw. 

[CanuckYNWA]

I think well get one of the portugese teams as I see all 3 winning their group

Porto will win their group as they play at home vs an eliminated Atletico where as Brugge are away against a resurgent Bayer under Xabi

Sporting are at home vs Eintract and Spurs and Marseille both have to go for it to guarantee they go through

And Benfica are playing Maccabi where as PSG have to go to Turin and win most likely

Id take any of them. Years past i would have said give me Real Madrid to get revenge but I cant deal with another potential heartbreak vs them. Just seem to have our number.

Also play the youngsters vs Napoli, pointless game as I don't see a world where we win by 4 or more goals.

[shank94]

Arrgh, I know they are the ones to avoid, but I think getting one over across 180 mins would be the way to go but that's just me living in my own fuck Real dreams every season since that day.

[BoRed]

Arrgh, I know they are the ones to avoid, but I think getting one over across 180 mins would be the way to go but that's just me living in my own fuck Real dreams every season since that day.

I was never more confident of beating them than heading into last season's final. I'll fancy our chances again if we get them, but I'm sick of the sight of them and I'd rather play anyone else.

[shank94]

I was never more confident of beating them than heading into last season's final. I'll fancy our chances again if we get them, but I'm sick of the sight of them and I'd rather play anyone else.

Fair and as history goes, a good call. Nothing would be sweeter for us knocking them in a run but yeah I get what we feel.

[4pool]

The 2022/23 UEFA Champions League round of 16 draw is scheduled for 12:00 CET on Monday 7 November at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland.


Round of 16: 14/15/21/22 February & 7/8/14/15 March 2023
Quarter-final and semi-final draw: 17 March 2023

[farawayred]

The 2022/23 UEFA Champions League round of 16 draw is scheduled for 12:00 CET on Monday 7 November at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland.


Round of 16: 14/15/21/22 February & 7/8/14/15 March 2023
Quarter-final and semi-final draw: 17 March 2023

I hope we don't draw Barca or Juve...

[stevieG786]

Anyone but Real, I can’t deal with losing to them again

It’s going to be Bayern ain’t it? Salah vs Mane etc

[tornado]

So, all the above permutations and no talk of 4-0 against Napoli?

[farawayred]

So, all the above permutations and no talk of 4-0 against Napoli?

Winning the Leeds and Spurs games seems far more important now than throwing a lot at Napoli for an unlikely result. Not impossible, but improbable.

[Aggro Berlin]

Would like Brugge or Porto, but I'm sensing we'll get Bayern

[ScouserAtHeart]

"House of European Football". Get fucked

[CanuckYNWA]

Winning the Leeds and Spurs games seems far more important now than throwing a lot at Napoli for an unlikely result. Not impossible, but improbable.

This all day long, lets take the rest vs Napoli and Derby so we actually get a a full week break between Leeds, Spurs and Southampton.

There is really no reason to risk injuries in a game where our chances of winning 4-0 or more are very slim, especially against a high flying Napoli team that cant stop scoring.

[Fromola]

Winning the Leeds and Spurs games seems far more important now than throwing a lot at Napoli for an unlikely result. Not impossible, but improbable.

Napoli are on fire at the moment and our bogey side along with Real.

We just need to put a side out that are competitive in the game and hope they make changes as well as we won't want to get smashed again. It's a chance to rest players.

[BoRed]

So, all the above permutations and no talk of 4-0 against Napoli?

Aside from what others have said above, does it really matter if we win the group? OK, we'd avoid Real (and even that's not certain, since they play a day later), but we could potentially get Inter instead of Bayern, plus Milan and Dortmund from Chelsea and City's groups. The rest would be much the same, certainly not worth going all out for 4-0 and risking the Spurs game.

The only tangible benefit would be having the second leg at home.

[killer-heels]

Anybody wanting Real Madrid are mad.

[Fromola]

Aside from what others have said above, does it really matter if we win the group? OK, we'd avoid Real (and even that's not certain, since they play a day later), but we could potentially get Inter instead of Bayern, plus Milan and Dortmund from Chelsea and City's groups. The rest would be much the same, certainly not worth going all out for 4-0 and risking the Spurs game.

The only tangible benefit would be having the second leg at home.

I do think runners ups look a lot weaker than the group winners, although in theory Real and PSG could still be runners up. That aside none of the others will lay a glove on City in the last 16. We could luck out and draw a Portuguese side again though. Nor would I fear Bayern too much or even PSG but that's assuming we find our level again. The problem with Real in 20/21 is we were miles off our normal level and had Phillips and Kabak at CB.

We were unfortunate to draw Napoli in pot 3 who are a first rate side at the moment in top form.

[Dazzer23]

So assuming Spurs get through, we’re looking at a 25% chance of a very winnable draw and a 75% chance of a bastard one. We could do with Spurs fluffing up and making it a 40%/60% split.

One slightly pedantic point, a 3-0 win against Napoli will see us win the group. (Away goals count if the teams GD is level in the head to head) I still can’t see us ‘going for it’ though.

[BoRed]

So assuming Spurs get through, we’re looking at a 25% chance of a very winnable draw and a 75% chance of a bastard one. We could do with Spurs fluffing up and making it a 40%/60% split.

That's assuming both Spurs and PSG win their groups. I don't think PSG beating Juventus is a given, and Spurs beating Marseille even less so.

One slightly pedantic point, a 3-0 win against Napoli will see us win the group. (Away goals count if the teams GD is level in the head to head) I still can’t see us ‘going for it’ though.

That's not the case any more, away goals don't count in HTH, just as they don't count in knockout stages since last season. If we win 3-0, Napoli would win the group on overall goal difference.

[UntouchableLuis]

Porto please.

[Aldo1988]

Porto, we always seem to play Porto!!

[Barneylfc∗]

Brugge or Frankfurt. Easiest game possible please.

[thaddeus]

There's still a reasonable chance that Benfica top their group as well which would take PSG out of the equation.  A tiny chance that Leipzig finish above Real.

Best case scenario would be one of:
Bruges
Bayern
Sporting Lisbon/Frankfurt/Marseille
Leipzig
Benfica

Worse case would be one of:
Porto
Bayern
Real Madrid
PSG

I really wouldn't back us against any of Bayern, Real or PSG but a lot could change between now and the fixtures being played.  Hopefully we get another comedy draw like last season.

[JackWard33]

Win 4-0 at anfield vs Napoli and top the group - too easy?

[Sharado]

Porto please.

Precisely.

[HeartAndSoul]

Porto, we always seem to play Porto!!

Porto and Napoli seems like yearly fixtures

[So… Howard Philips]

Would like Brugge or Porto, but I'm sensing we'll get Bayern

Madrid.

Wonder which light weight City will get?

[thaddeus]

Madrid.

Wonder which light weight City will get?

For both them and Chelsea it's almost certainly going to be a kind draw.  Unless PSG or Real make a mess of their final games then the best second placed teams they could get would be the two Milans (and Chelsea can't get AC again).

Napoli have laid waste to the theory that Italian teams are all a bit crap these days but still that's pretty soft for CL knock-out.

[Kennys from heaven]

It is my fondest wish to see us utterly fucking demolish Napoli 4-0 and banish the bogey side demon once and for all.

That said, I'll take Brugge.

[Kennys from heaven]

Here it is in all it's UEFA glory:

Article 17 Equality of points – group stage

17.01

If two or more teams are equal on points on completion of the group matches, the following criteria are applied in the order given to determine their rankings:

1. higher number of points obtained in the group matches played among the teams in question;

2. superior goal difference from the group matches played among the teams in question;

3. higher number of goals scored in the group matches played among the teams in question;

4. if, after having applied criteria a) to c), teams still have an equal ranking, criteria a) to c) are reapplied exclusively to the matches between the remaining teams to determine their final rankings. If this procedure does not lead to a decision, criteria e) to k) apply in the order given to the two or more teams still equal;

5. superior goal difference in all group matches;

6. higher number of goals scored in all group matches;

7. higher number of away goals scored in all group matches;

8. higher number of wins in all group matches;

9. higher number of away wins in all group matches;

10. lower disciplinary points total based only on yellow and red cards received by players and team officials in all group matches (red card = 3 points, yellow card = 1 point, expulsion for two yellow cards in one match = 3 points);

11. higher club coefficient (see Annex D).

Reading that, it would seem that a 3-0 win will suffice after all.. .but like I said in my earlier post, let's do the bastards by 4 just to be safe.

[Thomas]

Win 4-0 at anfield vs Napoli and top the group - too easy?

I see no reason, as other have said above, to field the sort of side that would be required to even think  this is possible

[-Willo-]

Those options dont look too bad on paper for 2nd place.

Fancy us against them all, obviously want to avoid Bayern, PSG or Real but the rest, easy.

[amir87]

Would be nice to play someone different like Porto.

[BoRed]

Reading that, it would seem that a 3-0 win will suffice after all.. .but like I said in my earlier post, let's do the bastards by 4 just to be safe.

No, it wouldn't.

Here it is in all it's UEFA glory:

Article 17 Equality of points – group stage

17.01

If two or more teams are equal on points on completion of the group matches, the following criteria are applied in the order given to determine their rankings:

1. higher number of points obtained in the group matches played among the teams in question;

2. superior goal difference from the group matches played among the teams in question;

3. higher number of goals scored in the group matches played among the teams in question;

4. if, after having applied criteria a) to c), teams still have an equal ranking, criteria a) to c) are reapplied exclusively to the matches between the remaining teams to determine their final rankings. If this procedure does not lead to a decision, criteria e) to k) apply in the order given to the two or more teams still equal;

5. superior goal difference in all group matches;

We're level on the first three, the fourth doesn't change anything since it only applies if more than two teams were tied in the first place, and then we lose out on the fifth.

There's no mention at all of away goals until point 7, and even then it's all group games and not just HTH. But like I said, we'd lose out on point 5 already.

[Jm55]

For both them and Chelsea it's almost certainly going to be a kind draw.  Unless PSG or Real make a mess of their final games then the best second placed teams they could get would be the two Milans (and Chelsea can't get AC again).

Napoli have laid waste to the theory that Italian teams are all a bit crap these days but still that's pretty soft for CL knock-out.

Is it possible people are slightly overestimating Napoli?

Granted they twatted us, when we were abysmal, but their other results haven’t really been any better than us in this group and we’re far from one of the best teams in Europe on current form?

I get that they’ve been doing well this season, I just think them strolling through a weak group and beating a terrible version of Liverpool convincingly isn’t really enough to declare them the best side in Europe?

[Fromola]

For both them and Chelsea it's almost certainly going to be a kind draw.  Unless PSG or Real make a mess of their final games then the best second placed teams they could get would be the two Milans (and Chelsea can't get AC again).

Napoli have laid waste to the theory that Italian teams are all a bit crap these days but still that's pretty soft for CL knock-out.

Napoli are in hot form but may level off after the World Cup and lose momentum. They always bottle the knockouts.

Milan sides are average. We won in Milan with a b team last season when they had to win. Inter put everything they had into the tie with us but we went through in second gear

[CanuckYNWA]

Here it is in all it's UEFA glory:

Article 17 Equality of points – group stage

17.01


Reading that, it would seem that a 3-0 win will suffice after all.. .but like I said in my earlier post, let's do the bastards by 4 just to be safe.

Do you struggle with reading comprehension?

Its clear as day a 3-0 win would not suffice. We would be tied on all the factors and go to the rule where its GD among all group games, we lose that. Its 4-0 or more, nothing less. We need to win by 4 goals or more to win out on the tie breakers.

[So… Howard Philips]

We haven’t played Sporting lately so a game against them would give one of their players the audition to join us like Diaz and Nunez from Portuguese opposition.