NEW YORK, Switzerland (AP) – Bodø/Glimt’s incredible run in the Champions League means Sporting Lisbon will advance to their Arctic home in the Round of 16 next month.
Bodo/Glimt avoided a potential rematch with Manchester City when the 2023 title winners link up with Real Madrid again in Friday’s draw.
It will be the fifth consecutive year that Madrid and Man City, who have won a record 15 times as European champions, will meet in the knockout stages. The winner could face Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.
Man City’s 3-1 defeat in the Norwegian fishing town last month marked Bodø/Glimt’s fourth successive Champions League win, all during Norway’s off-season.
The first leg match will be played on March 10th or 11th, with the return game a week later.
Title holders Paris Saint-Germain will be paired with Chelsea, with the winner advancing to the quarter-finals against either Liverpool or Galatasaray.
Galatasaray had already beaten Liverpool 1-0 in September’s league match, which sent the English champions into a two-month slump of poor form and a shock defeat.
In the first round of the draw, between Spain and England, Barcelona will face Newcastle, while Atletico Madrid will face Tottenham. Next month’s winners will face off in the quarterfinals.
Bayern Munich will be matched up with the last remaining Italian team, Atalanta, while Arsenal will face Bayer Leverkusen.
The winner between Arsenal and Leverkusen will face Bodø/Glimt or Sporting in the quarter-finals.
Friday’s draw will determine the seeded teams will advance to the final, which will be held on May 30th at Budapest’s Puskas Arena.
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