After an enthralling start to the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 last week, eight more teams resume play this week in another set of first-leg matches.
While powerhouses such as Manchester City thrived and others, such as Bayern Munich, stumbled last week, this week’s action will see additional European giants make significant strides in the first leg.
A highlight of this week’s fixtures is Barcelona’s clash against Napoli on Tuesday, which promises to be one of several closely contested ties. Last season’s finalists Inter face-attacking rivals Atletico Madrid, and Arsenal continues their first Champions League campaign in seven years against impressive Porto.
Here’s what you need to know about this week’s fixtures.
When will the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 matches start?
The UEFA Champions League 2023 Round of 16 matches will start at 8:00 GMT.
When and where to watch the UEFA Champions League round of 16 matches?
- Spain: Telefonica
- Portugal: DAZN, TVI
- Germany: DAZN, Prime Video
- France: Canal+, beIN, RMC Sport
- UK: TNT Sports
- Italy: Mediaset, Prime Video, Sky Italy
- Netherlands: RTL, Ziggo Sport
- Middle East/North Africa: beIN
- United States of America: CBS, TUDN
- Canada: DAZN
- Australia: Stansport
- New Zealand: beIN
- Indian Subcontinent: Sony
This week’s first-leg fixture schedule UEFA Champions League
- Tuesday, February 20, 2024
- Inter Milan vs Atletico Madrid (8:00 PM GMT)
- PSV vs Dortmund (8:00 pm GMT)
- Wednesday, February 21, 2024
- Porto vs Arsenal (8:00 pm GMT)
- Napoli vs Barcelona (8:00 pm GMT)
Wednesday’s match between Napoli and Barcelona pits the Italian and Spanish champions against each other, which usually indicates a high-caliber contest. Despite the potential competition, these two companies are not currently at their peak, which adds an interesting dimension to this fact.
Italy is the latest destination on Xavi’s farewell tour, after announcing his departure following disappointing results at the end of the season. With three months to go and several key match-ups ahead, Barcelona will aim to avoid ending Xavi’s managerial tenure with a failed performance. They have gone four games unbeaten since the announcement, but defensive problems persist, losing five times during that period.
Meanwhile, after a seven-year absence from Europe’s premier club competition, Arsenal quickly re-established themselves as one of the continent’s top teams and finished top of Group B. He started 2024 in strong form, finishing just two points behind in the Premier League.
They will have a chance to answer that question against Porto, a team that can attack but is considered the underdog in this tie. Arsenal may have to go into the match without influential players like Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Still, the recent performances of Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard should be enough to keep Arsenal in check on most occasions.
As Arsenal embark on another season full of hope, this tie presents a crucial opportunity for them to demonstrate not only their upside but also their ability to earn a place among Europe’s elite.
