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Barcelona will take on Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 of the 2020-21 Champions League in a blockbuster draw that sees captain Lionel Messi come up against former team-mate Neymar and goalscoring sensation Kylian Mbappe.
The draw for the first knockout round took place on Monday in Switzerland with Ronald Koeman’s men up against the French champions.
There are some other eye-catching ties set to be played in the last 16.
The draw for the Champions League round of 16 is confirmed 🏆
Barca’s failure to finish top of Group G ensured they would be handed a tough draw following the culmination of the group stage Ronald Koeman’s men had been in charge of the group, after winning their first five games, but lost their final match 3-0 to Juventus to finish second.
Meanwhile, PSG topped Group H ahead of RB Leipzig, Manchester United, and Istanbul Basaksehir. Thomas Tuchel’s side did suffer two defeats from their six games but still did enough to progress as group winners.
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Barcelona Set for Neymar Reunion
The tie will see Neymar come up against his former team in Europe’s top competition for the first time since stunning the football world by leaving the Camp Nou for Paris in the summer of 2017.
Neymar has regularly been linked with a move back to Barcelona during his time with the French champions. He has also recently admitted he’s desperate to play with captain Lionel Messi once again.
The PSG star told ESPN Argentina, “What I want most is to play with Messi again. I want to enjoy playing with him again on the field, surely next year we have to do it.”
The Frenchman champions have also been linked with a move for Messi who is out of contract at the end of the season. According to ESPN, the Ligue 1 side are “exploring” the possibility of trying to land the Barcelona captain next year.
Barcelona’s tie with PSG will also bring back memories of the famous Champions League clash between the two sides in 2016-17. PSG won the first leg 4-0 in the French capital and looked destined to progress to the next round.
However, Barcelona produced a stunning comeback to win 6-1 at the Camp Nou and go through 6-5 on aggregate. Neymar scored twice in the win but it was Sergi Roberto who sealed an incredible night for the Catalan giants with their sixth goal deep into stoppage time.
Champions League Last 16 Schedule
The Champions League last 16 fixtures will take place in February and March 2021 with all kick-offs set for 21:00 CET/15:00 ET. The first leg ties are scheduled for 16-17 and 23-24 February with the return fixtures set for 9-10 and 16-17 March.
As group runners-up, Barcelona will play the first leg at the Camp Nou and will then head to the Parc des Princes for the return fixture. Barca’s loss to Juventus last time out at the Camp Nou was their first home defeat in the Champions League since 2013.
PSG and Barcelona have played each other 11 times previously with the Catalan giants having the edge. Barca have won five times compared to PSG’s three. The two teams have also shared three draws.
The Champions League remains Barca’s top priority as they aim to lift the European Cup for the sixth time in their history. PSG have never won the Champions League and were beaten finalists last season, going down 1-0 to Bayern Munich.
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