The 11-time winners of the Champions League, Real Madrid, would play Napoli in the Round of 16. Los Blancos drew 2-2 with Borussia Dortmund, a result that cost them first place in the group. Even so, Real Madrid avoided teams such as Bayern Munich and PSG, and the rules already kept them apart from Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. Los Blancos could therefore count themselves rather lucky despite finishing second in their group.
Arsenal, meanwhile, would face Bayern Munich yet again. What a nightmare for The Gunners. The last time the two teams met in the Champions League was a year earlier, when they were drawn together in the group stage. Both won at home, but Bayern did it 5-1. The German side had won five of the ten games between the clubs, with two draws and three victories for The Gunners.
The 2-2 draw with Ludogorets cost Paris Saint-Germain first place in their group, and that eventually shaped their path in the tournament. The Parisians would play Barcelona, perhaps the toughest opponent in the competition. The Catalans eliminated Paris Saint-Germain in 2015, 5-1 on aggregate. On the other hand, the French side recorded a very prestigious 3-2 victory over Barcelona in 2014. The tie promised to be fascinating.
In the other ties, Porto would play Juventus, alongside Bayer Leverkusen vs. Atletico Madrid, Manchester City vs. Monaco, Benfica vs. Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla vs. Leicester City.
The Champions League:
- Manchester City vs. Monaco
- Real Madrid vs. Napoli
- Benfica vs. Borussia Dortmund
- Bayern Munich vs. Arsenal
- Porto vs. Juventus
- Bayer Leverkusen vs. Atletico Madrid
- PSG vs. Barcelona
- Sevilla vs. Leicester City
There were also interesting battles in the Europa League, where Manchester United would play Saint-Etienne, while Tottenham were drawn against the Belgian side Gent. These are all the ties of the second best clubs tournament in Europe:
Athletic Bilbao vs. APOEL Nicosia; Legia Warsaw vs. Ajax; Anderlecht vs. Zenit; Astra vs. Genk; Man United vs. St. Etienne; Villarreal vs. Roma; Ludogorets vs. Copenhagen; Celta vs. Shakhtar Donetsk; Olympiakos vs. Osmanlispor; Gent vs. Tottenham; Rostov vs. Sparta Prague; Krasnodar vs. Fenerbahce; Monchengladbach vs. Fiorentina; AZ vs. Lyon; Hapoel Beer Sheva vs. Besiktas; PAOK vs. Schalke 04.
How the Champions League ties ended
The round of 16 produced one of the most extraordinary comebacks in the competition’s history. Paris Saint-Germain won the first leg 4-0 at the Parc des Princes on 14 February 2017, and the tie looked settled. At Camp Nou on 8 March, however, Barcelona won 6-1 and went through 6-5 on aggregate.
Arsenal’s fears about Bayern Munich proved justified. The German champions won 5-1 in Munich and repeated the score at the Emirates Stadium, a 10-2 aggregate defeat for The Gunners. Real Madrid beat Napoli 6-2 on aggregate, Juventus overcame Porto 3-0, Atletico Madrid beat Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 and Borussia Dortmund knocked out Benfica 4-1. Manchester City and Monaco shared twelve goals, 6-6 on aggregate, with Monaco progressing on away goals. Leicester City, the English champions, beat Sevilla 3-2 to reach the quarter-finals.
Real Madrid’s luck in the draw ended in a trophy. They reached the final in Cardiff on 3 June 2017 and beat Juventus 4-1 to lift the European Cup for the 12th time.
How the Europa League ended
Manchester United made light work of Saint-Etienne, winning 3-0 at Old Trafford and 1-0 in France for a 4-0 aggregate win. Tottenham fared worse: Gent won 1-0 in Belgium and drew 2-2 in London, knocking Spurs out 3-2 on aggregate. United went all the way. In the final at the Friends Arena in Solna, Sweden, on 24 May 2017, Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored in a 2-0 win over Ajax. It was the club’s first title in the competition, and it also brought a place in the following season’s Champions League group stage.
Questions people ask
How did Barcelona beat Paris Saint-Germain in 2017?
Paris Saint-Germain won the first leg of the round of 16 4-0 on 14 February 2017. Barcelona then won the return leg 6-1 at Camp Nou on 8 March 2017 and went through 6-5 on aggregate.
What was the aggregate score between Bayern Munich and Arsenal in 2017?
Bayern Munich won 10-2 on aggregate. They won 5-1 at the Allianz Arena on 15 February 2017 and 5-1 again at the Emirates Stadium on 7 March 2017.
Who won the 2016-17 Champions League?
Real Madrid won the competition, beating Juventus 4-1 in the final in Cardiff on 3 June 2017. They had faced Napoli in the round of 16 and won that tie 6-2 on aggregate.
Who won the 2016-17 Europa League?
Manchester United beat Ajax 2-0 in the final in Solna, Sweden, on 24 May 2017, with goals from Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. It was the club's first title in the competition.