Who Real Madrid can get in the Champions League last 16 draw
Real Madrid are through to the last 16 of the 2021/22 Champions League, with fans now eagerly awaiting who the club's next opponent will be.
This is everything you need to know about the last 16 draw and which clubs are available for Los Blancos to face...
How Real Madrid qualified for the Champions League last 16
Real overcame a rocky start to the Champions League season to comfortably finish top of Group D in the end. This was after needing an 89th-minute winner to beat Inter on matchday one and suffering an embarrassing home defeat to newcomers Sheriff on matchday two.
But Real found their rhythm after that and won four successive games. It started with seven goals across two games against Shakhtar Donetsk, before beating Sheriff in Moldova and finishing with a home win over Inter on matchday six. Inter were five points adrift in second place.
Who Real Madrid can get in the Champions League last 16 draw
The draw splits group winners and runners-up into seeds and non-seeds. At this stage all group winners will be kept apart, while no club be drawn with another from the same country. Real also cannot be paired with Inter by virtue of qualifying from the same group.
With Atletico Madrid and Villarreal also obviously off the table, Los Blancos will be randomly drawn against any of the other group runners-up available to them. That means they will be facing one of PSG, Sporting CP, Benfica, Red Bull Salzburg or Chelsea.
Real might be keen to avoid PSG or holders Chelsea at this stage of the competition but would surely fancy their chances of comfortably seeing off any of the other possibilities.
When is the Champions League last 16 draw?
UEFA will make the draw for the Champions League last 16 on Monday 13 December 2021. It will start from 11am in the UK (12pm CET) and will be live streamed on UEFA’s website and YouTube channel.
When will the Champions League last 16 be played?
Heading into 2022, last 16 first leg ties will be split across consecutive weeks on either 15/16 February or 22/23 February. The return legs will follow on 8/9 March or 15/16 March.
As group winners, Real will have the advantage of playing the second leg at the Bernabeu.
This is the first season in which the away goals rule has been scrapped, so extra-time is guaranteed if the aggregate score is level at the end of the second leg.
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