Nyon: In a first time ever moment, the draw for the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League had to be conducted twice following a technical error in the first attempt.
UEFA, the European football's governing body committed a series of mistakes. Firstly, Manchester United was mistakenly paired up against the Spanish side Villareal.
It was not possible for the two clubs to face each other in the Round of 16 as both the teams were in the same group during the group stages. The mistake was identified and rectified immediately by UEFA.
Another error that went unnoticed in the first draw was when Manchester United's ball was not placed in the bowl to be drawn against Atletico Madrid.
Group F winners Manchester United should have been in contention to face the Spanish champions Atletico Madrid, however, the ball with their name was not picked.
Initially, this error went unnoticed as the Red Devils ended up facing PSG. The draw was re-conducted by UEFA just hours later after they realized their mistake.
Atletico Madrid took up this issue with UEFA following which the governing body released a statement confirming that the entire draw will be redone.
Some football fans went berzerk after United were drawn against PSG. This excitement is due to the reunion of longtime rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid was clearly not happy with this decision. It is because Los Blancos were earlier drawn against Portuguese side Benfica but were later drawn against PSG in the 2nd draw.
The Spanish Giants reportedly complained to UEFA about this debacle.
The football enthusiasts will be up for some mouth-watering clashes. 13-time Champions League winners Real Madrid will face the French heavyweights PSG. This tie is arguably the most exciting fixture in the Round of 16 as both the clubs are evenly matched.
Manchester United vs Atletico Madrid and Liverpool vs Inter Milan also promise to be nail-biting encounters.
German Champions Bayern Munich will face Austrian side RB Salzburg while English Champions Manchester City will lock horns against Sporting CP of Portugal.
Defending UCL champions Chelsea will face French champions Lille while Italian side Juventus have been drawn against Villareal of Spain and Dutch side Ajax will face Benfica of Portugal.
The Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League 2021-22 will commence from 16 February 2022 onwards.
The final will be played at the Krestovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg, Russia on 28 May 2022.
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