Champions League Round of 16 (15th Feb - 16th Mar)

RBL or Sporting would be nice. Not an easy team but still expect us to qualify due to the quality we have.
 
I hope for as easy opponent as possible. So ideally in this order: Salzburg, Benfica, Sporting, Atletico, Inter, PSG.
 
Atletico would be nightmare. Simeone and his dogshit tactics. Rolling for every tactical foul we make, surrounding the referee.

Such a horrible team.
 
Teams United could get.

PSG - current French league leaders, some how finished 2nd last season

Atletico Madrid - 4th in Liga, won the league last season.

Sporting - 2nd in Primeira league, won it last season.

Inter - 2nd in Serie A, won it last season

Benifca - 3rd in Primeira league, finished 3rd last season.

Salzburg - 1st in Austrian Bundesliga and won it last season.

I'm expecting United to draw one of PSG.
 
I'd like to see this draw

Man City v Atletico
Liverpool v Inter
Ajax v Atalanta/Villarreal
Real Madrid v PSG
Bayern v Chelsea
Man Utd v Salzburg
Lille v Sporting
Juventus v Benfica

Guess I could have given Liverpool PSG but I'd rather see Mbappe score against the side he yearns to play for
 
Doubt we'll get the team from group G. In the last 5 draws for the last 16 in the CL we've got Atletico, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, PSG and PSG. And that's despite winning the group in 3 of those years.

I'm playing the world's smallest violin for you.
 
English team draws

Chelsea v Bayern
City v Salzburg
Dippers v Sporting
Utd v PSG
 
Atletico would be nightmare. Simeone and his dogshit tactics. Rolling for every tactical foul we make, surrounding the referee.

Such a horrible team.
They're nothing like they use to be.

We did them pretty comfortably last season.
 
Fivethirtyeight currently ranks United’s potential opponents as follows in terms of strength:

#6 Inter
#8 Atletico
#9 PSG
#27 Benfica
#28 Sporting
#29 RB Salzburg

United after a truly horrible run of results and performances are currently 18th behind Atalanta and West Ham(!), and just ahead of Sevilla and Real Sociedad.

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/soccer-predictions/global-club-rankings/

Think you can safely completely ignore that claptrap; the ratings are laughable.

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Hope it's not PSG!! It will turn into a Ronaldo vs Messi fiasco...anyone else it will be a great game to watch and we have great individuals, hope we turn that into a great by then.
 
These are the probabilities of the draw. At least we are less likely to face Bayern due to no other German team finishing 2nd.

Screenshot-20211209-041716.png
 
Have we ever played Atletico?
 
I’d rather we play PSG that Atlético. I can see Ragnick outmanoeuvring Pochettino and the lack of consistent press of their forward line playing in our favour.
the alternative is 180 minutes of shithousery and Simeone intensity. We have better players , but I just wouldn’t like the matchup.
 
So as an Ajax fan, this is my take on our possible opponents..

Underdog
Chelsea - Only team I réally want to avoid. Well organized team, great coach, great players. One of the best teams in the world right now with Bayern, Liverpool and City.

50/50
Inter - Very good team, not worldclass..
Atletico - Very good team, not worldclass..
PSG - World class players, incoherent team. Watch them quite a bit, but they concede so many chances against almost every team. In the attack the have incredible talent obviously, but this whole team just doesnt click. Im very positive Ten Hag will be very able to expose their weaknesses.

Favourite by margins
Benfica - Very good team, but I rate this Ajax higher.
Villareal - Very good team, but I rate this Ajax higher.

Favourite by far
RB Salzburg - I would be ashamed as an Ajax fan if we are being eliminated by them.
 
The landscape could look so different when the CL restarts. Chelsea were just entering a period of turmoil that ended with Lampard being given his P45 when we were drawn with Atletico Madrid last season. They were flying high at the time. I thought we were fecked, but by the time we played each other, they were in rotten form, on the verge of throwing away a huge lead in the league, while we looked organised and fresh with Tuchel.

I'd want to avoid Bayern personally, and fancy our chances against any other team but we just don't know what teams will look like in 3 months time.
 
So as an Ajax fan, this is my take on our possible opponents..

Underdog
Chelsea - Only team I réally want to avoid. Well organized team, great coach, great players. One of the best teams in the world right now with Bayern, Liverpool and City.

50/50
Inter - Very good team, not worldclass..
Atletico - Very good team, not worldclass..
PSG - World class players, incoherent team. Watch them quite a bit, but they concede so many chances against almost every team. In the attack the have incredible talent obviously, but this whole team just doesnt click. Im very positive Ten Hag will be very able to expose their weaknesses.

Favourite by margins
Benfica - Very good team, but I rate this Ajax higher.
Villareal - Very good team, but I rate this Ajax higher.

Favourite by far
RB Salzburg - I would be ashamed as an Ajax fan if we are being eliminated by them.

What about Atalanta? I think they'll progress against Villarreal and Atalanta - Ajax is an exciting matchup for the neutral.
 
Nailed on:

Salzburg v Man City
Sporting v Liverpool
Atletico v Bayern
Inter v Ajax
Benfica v Juventus
Chelsea v Lille
PSG v Man Utd
Atalanta v Real Madrid
 
Chelsea will get an easy team as always

What are you talking about, our last R16 opponents have been:

20/21 - Atletico Madrid
19/20 - Bayern
17/18 - Barcelona
15/16 - PSG
14/15 - PSG


Years in between we didn't make last 16, you can't find a team with a harder run of R16 fixtures
 
What are you talking about, our last R16 opponents have been:

20/21 - Atletico Madrid
19/20 - Bayern
17/18 - Barcelona
15/16 - PSG
14/15 - PSG


Years in between we didn't make last 16, you can't find a team with a harder run of R16 fixtures

Yeah, I don't get why people are saying that Chelsea get easy draws in the KO stage of the CL, I mean they seem to always draw the hardest team possible.

I think people are confusing FA Cup draws with their CL draws. Although, that said they do seem to get easyish groups.
 
1 in 3 chance Chelsea meets Real :lol:

I kinda want PSG, because feck them.
 
1 in 3 chance Chelsea meets Real :lol:

I kinda want PSG, because feck them.

I wouldn't mind Real Madrid, I don't think they are anywhere near as good as they have been in previous years. I'd imagine something similar to last season if we turn up. I just really don't want Bayern
 
Ronaldo Vs Messi and Poch Vs Utd would be box office and too hard for UEFA to resist.
 
Yeah, I don't get why people are saying that Chelsea get easy draws in the KO stage of the CL, I mean they seem to always draw the hardest team possible.

I think people are confusing FA Cup draws with their CL draws. Although, that said they do seem to get easyish groups.
And there's the likes of Barca thrice, Napoli with peak Cavani, Juve and Jose's Inter before that.

That said if we draw Bayern this time it will be our own fault for not winning the group but even if you look at our draws when winning the group I think you'll struggle to find a team who has had it harder than us. I'm not trying to claim a hard done by prize shit happens but anyone claiming we get it easy in the UCL is an idiot.
 
Chel can only draw 1 of Ajax, Bayern, Real M or Lille...I think we all know they are getting Lille!

Similarly, we are destined to meet PSG...again!
 
What about Atalanta? I think they'll progress against Villarreal and Atalanta - Ajax is an exciting matchup for the neutral.

We had them last year in the group stages, was very tight between the two... Ive seen very little of them this year, but Ajax is definitely a lot better than they were last year..