Champions League Draw: Neymar Says Hello to Real Madrid
Well, that was quick.
The Champions League bracket draw has a number of rules, the two key ones being:
- No first-round meetings between clubs who were in the same group, and
- No first-round meetings between clubs from the same country.
There's nothing that says perceived favorites must be kept in opposite halves of the bracket, because all 16 teams are supposed to be champions.
Interesting matches were obviously gonna happen with so few clubs involved, and there are indeed more than one.
But Paris-St German vs Real Madrid right outta the gate?
Whoa.
You couldn't make this up. Unless ...
The gamers may have been surprised for Los Blancos clashing with Les Rouge-et-Bleu so early in the competition, but that's not to say they weren't prepared for it:
And what did they foretell for the most expensive footballer in the known galaxy?
So close.
Faux final: Real 1, PSG 0.
The world will have to wait until February to see how accurate that was. Here's the entire bracket's schedule:
Tournament upsets are always exciting, and who knows?
Maybe Shakhtar Donetsk will put together an amazing series against AS Roma and take their countrymen's attention away from the fact that Russia's occupying part of their nation.
That stuff happens, like when what was then Czechoslovakia took out Russia's crushing the Prague Spring in the 1968 Olympics with a major upset.
The fact England's contingent performed so impressively in group play almost made this the Three Lions Invitational.
Five clubs from Jolly Old basically dictated a matchup like Real vs PSG would be on the cards. The draw's beneficiary wound up being none other than FC Bayern, who should leave tire tracks all over Beşiktaş on its way to the quarters.
The Turkish side had best be on their game more than they were in the 1997-1998 competition:
There also looks to be a dramatic undercard in this round with Chelsea mixing it up with Barcelona and Spurs meeting Juventus.
Still, the richest part of this draw is the headliner. PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaïfi sent shockwaves through the transfer market in his quest to win the only trophy that matters to him.
Who knew the moment that matters would be right outta the gate?