The 2022-23 Champions League group stage officially drew to a close and what a round of fixtures we had! The group stage was a mix of stellar performances, drama, and late twists, as all 32 teams vied for a spot at the knockout stage.
We saw some elite teams do their thing as usual, while some European giants crashed out to the Europa League after a series of disappointing games (hello Barcelona, Juventus, and Ajax!). It’s crazy to think that Atletico Madrid failed to clinch a top 2 finish in a group that had Bayern Leverkusen, Club Brugge, and FC Porto. But it gets even more bizarre when you realize they finished at the bottom of the group.
The English Premier League and German Bundesliga have the most representation going into the knockout stages. This year makes it the second consecutive year four English teams qualify for the knockout stages.
Serie A are up next with three teams, and the Primeira Liga (two teams) round up the domestic leagues with multiple representations. Ligue 1, La Liga, and the Belgian Pro League complete the list.
Here’s the list of teams that qualified for the 2022/23 Round of 16
England
Manchester City
Chelsea
Tottenham
Liverpool
Germany
Bayern Munich
Dortmund
RB Leipzig
Eintracht Frankfurt
Italy
Napoli
AC Milan
Inter Milan
Portugal
Benfica
Porto
Spain
Real Madrid
France
PSG
Belgium
Club Brugge
Round of 16 Rules
Teams that finished first will be drawn against second placed teams. However, according to UEFA rules, teams from the same country cannot be drawn against each other until the Quarter finals. The same goes for teams from the same group.
The Round of 16 schedule will run from February 14 through March 14, 2023, and will feature two-legged ties with the higher seeded team hosting the return leg. The abolishment of the away goal rule took effect last season and will remain so this season.
In other words, away goals will not serve as a tiebreaker as it has been the case since 1965. Instead, even shorelines after the second leg will warrant 30 minutes of extra time. If none of the teams break the deadlock, the match will be decided by a penalty shootout.
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Who are the favorites to win the Champions League?
Manchester City have the best odds to win it all this season, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. But it will never come easy as they have learned over the years.
Pep Guardiola’s men have always looked like the team to beat in the last couple of seasons, but have fallen short when it mattered the most. Yet, with Haaland’s brilliance in front of goal this season, it’s hard to bet against them winning their first ever champions league trophy.
Bayern Munich soars to the second spot on the odds table, after completing a clean sweep in a fairly tough group that included Inter Milan and Barcelona. PSG saw their odds plummet a bit after failing to secure top spot.
Here are the top five teams favored by FanDuel’s oddsmaker:
Man City (+175)
Bayern Munich (+500)
PSG (+700)
Liverpool (+750)
Real Madrid (+1000)
