Unlike what happened last season, Porto reached the round of 16 of the Champions League as runner-up in the group, which means, in theory, a more complicated competitor in the knockout round.
In the draw scheduled for Monday, the Dragons’ chances are against three Spanish teams (Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, and Real Sociedad), two English teams (Manchester City and Arsenal), and two German teams (Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund), with the only thing escaping Barcelona among the leaders of the group, after the team faced… The Catalan is in a phase that has now reached its end.
On paper, Real Sociedad would be the more attractive opponent, although the Basque team showed in the group in which Benfica was also present that they have a quality squad. Atletico Madrid, who Porto faced in the group stage two years ago and last season, Arsenal, who have not participated in the Champions League for several years (they were eliminated by Sporting in the Europa League last season) and Borussia Dortmund are clubs. Strong, but not at the level of the “Sharks” like Real Madrid, Bayern, and City, the current European champion.
In FC Porto’s pot, and therefore prevented from entering the draw, there will also be Inter, Paris Saint-Germain, Lazio, Leipzig, Copenhagen, Napoli and PSV.
Melody Gross is a contributor at Brytfmonline.com, covering a wide range of topics including news, politics, business, technology, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is committed to delivering clear, accurate, and reader-focused reporting that helps audiences stay informed about current events and important developments. With a focus on useful information and balanced storytelling, Melody aims to present timely stories and relevant insights in a way that is accessible, engaging, and easy to understand.