Champions League guide: Liverpool, Man City, Man Utd & Tottenham in last 16
Last updated on .From the section European Football
It has been mixed fortunes for the English sides so far in the Champions League last 16.
Manchester United were beaten by French champions Paris St-Germain but Tottenham ran Borussia Dortmund ragged in a dominant display at Wembley.
With Liverpool and Manchester City in action this week, how much do you know about the teams they will be facing for a place in the quarter-finals?
BBC Sport gives you the lowdown about Europe's premier club competition.
Champions League last-16 ties | ||
---|---|---|
Teams | First leg | Second leg |
Manchester United v Paris St-Germain | 0-2 | Wednesday, 6 March |
Roma v Porto | 2-1 | Wednesday, 6 March |
Ajax v Real Madrid | 1-2 | Tuesday, 5 March |
Tottenham v Borussia Dortmund | 3-0 | Tuesday, 5 March |
Liverpool v Bayern Munich | Tuesday, 19 February | Wednesday, 13 March |
Lyon v Barcelona | Tuesday, 19 February | Wednesday, 13 March |
Atletico Madrid v Juventus | Wednesday, 20 February | Tuesday, 12 March |
Schalke v Manchester City | Wednesday, 20 February | Tuesday, 12 March |
Liverpool v Bayern Munich
First leg: Anfield (Tuesday, 19 February). Second leg: Allianz Arena (Wednesday, 13 March).
How they qualified: The Reds started their group campaign with an encouraging 3-2 win over PSG, but ended it scraping through in second place thanks to a 1-0 victory in a straight shootout for second place with Italian side Napoli. With three wins and three losses, it represented a frustratingly inconsistent but ultimately satisfactory effort from last season's beaten finalists.
Bayern finished top of Group E, with their only dropped points coming in two draws with Ajax. It was a thrilling conclusion to the group as Ajax entertained Bayern in the final group game in Amsterdam. Ajax would have topped the group with a win and were 2-1 ahead in the 87th minute - before the match finished 3-3.
Bayern's boss: Former Bayern midfielder Niko Kovac became the club's manager in the summer, winning 5-0 against Eintracht Frankfurt to clinch the German Super Cup in his first game in charge. Kovac, who managed Croatia at the 2014 World Cup when they went out in the group phase, has also managed Red Bull Salzburg and Eintracht Frankfurt.
Bayern's Champions League record: Bayern have won the Champions League twice - beating Valencia 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the 2001 final and defeating fellow German side Dortmund 2-1 in 2013. The Bundesliga champions also won the European Cup three times - in 1974, 1975 and 1976. They are aiming to get into at least the quarter-finals of the competition for the eighth successive season.
Bayern's star players: Robert Lewandowski is the top scorer in this season's Champions League with eight goals. The squad also includes Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and Colombia midfielder James Rodriguez, the Golden Boot winner at the 2014 World Cup. Forward Thomas Muller will miss both games against the Reds because he is suspended following a red card in their final group match.
Schalke v Manchester City
First leg: Veltins-Arena (Wednesday, 20 February). Second leg: Etihad Stadium (Tuesday, 12 March).
How they qualified: It started terribly for City with a 2-1 home loss to French side Lyon, but four wins and a draw - including a 6-0 demolition of Shakhtar Donetsk - from the rest of their Group F matches saw Pep Guardiola's side comfortably into the last 16.
Schalke only scored six goals in their six Group D matches but still managed to finish second behind leaders Porto and above Galatasaray and Lokomotiv Moscow. Their two 1-0 victories over Lokomotiv both came with goals scored in the last two minutes.
Schalke's boss: Domenico Tedesco is only 33 and has been in charge of Schalke since 2017, finishing second in the Bundesliga, behind Bayern Munich, in his first season at the club.
Schalke's Champions League record: Schalke's best run in the Champions League came in 2010-11 when they lost their semi-final 6-1 on aggregate to Manchester United, who were beaten 3-1 by Barcelona in the final. Schalke did not qualify for the Champions League in the past three years.
Schalke's star players: Schalke have struggled in this season's Bundesliga and their squad includes former Tottenham midfielder Nabil Bentaleb, ex-Cardiff striker Guido Burgstaller and Germany forward Mark Uth.
Manchester United 0-2 Paris St-Germain
First leg: 0-2 at Old Trafford. Second leg: Parc des Princes (Wednesday, 6 March).
How the first leg went: Manchester United were overpowered at Old Trafford as second-half goals from Presnel Kimpembe and Kylian Mbappe secured victory for the French champions, with Paul Pogba sent off for two yellow cards late on. Injuries to Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial were further blows for the hosts as PSG looked comfortable despite the absence of injured Brazil forward Neymar and Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani.
European football expert Guillem Balague: "At Old Trafford two extraordinary things happened in my eyes. One - Mbappe. He's scored 14 goals in the Champions League. He's 20. Cristiano Ronaldo hadn't even started in the Champions League by then.
"But something else happened. There's a lot of backtracking with regards to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer because of 45 minutes. In the first half, they [Manchester United and PSG] were very equal and then a striker gets injured and I saw a gameplan get destroyed. Then PSG were superior.
"It just felt like all these things that we've been saying about Solskjaer - forget about them, he's not worthwhile to be in the job. They have so many insufficiencies, even when Solskjaer was winning. You need much more to be a top coach and to take the richest club in the world and he has a lot to learn. The squad is very imbalanced."
Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 Borussia Dortmund
First leg: 3-0 at Wembley. Second leg: Signal Iduna Park (Tuesday, 5 March).
How the first leg went: Tottenham produced a magnificent second-half display to dominate Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund and take control of their first leg at Wembley. Son Heung-min broke the deadlock two minutes after the interval with a side-foot volley, before defender Jan Vertonghen doubled the lead. Substitute Fernando Llorente headed in a third to give Spurs a commanding advantage to take to Germany.
European football expert Steve Crossman: "Spurs-Dortmund is the standout result. I am not taking anything away from Tottenham but as far as Dortmund go, they've had a virus running through the camp. I think it's come at a really bad time for Dortmund as they've had a lots of games in a very short space of time.
"The German Cup is not like the FA Cup. German teams don't really rest players. It doesn't matter who they play, it's a full-strength team. I'm not looking for excuses for Dortmund and not taking anything away from Spurs, but I don't think this is the physically best Dortmund it can be."
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We want all English teams to progress.
POOR article, with very little new nor important information, or anything to indicate current form.
Can tell the reporter is from Manchester ......
City should get through ok.
Spurs might struggle against a good Dortmund team and will go out.
Liverpool and Man Utd both have hard games. I can see them both winning their home games but losing their away games. Its tough to call but I fancy Man Utd to get through and Liverpool to get knocked out.
Steady on. They're not there yet.
I don't understand some of the comments on here! It would be great to see all 4 English clubs through!