Champions League round of 16: meet the teams | UEFA Champions League

There are eight former winners among the 11 teams already through to the UEFA Champions League round of 16. UEFA.com profiles all these high-flying contenders.

Ajax

UEFA ranking: 17
Group C: winners (W5 D0 L0 F16 A3)
Last season: group stage (UEFA Europa League quarter-finals)
European Cup best: winners (1970/71, 1971/72, 1972/73, 1994/95)

Campaign in ten words: Fearless, dynamic, inventive and relentlessly attack-minded: at home and away.

UEFA.com Ajax reporter: Yet another Ajax side shaped in the totaalvoetbal mould. Every player in the team – including the keeper – is comfortable in possession and can take the ball even when under extreme pressure. They switch positions effortlessly, excel at creating and exploiting space, and are committed to flowing, creative football. What’s not to like?

Coach: Erik ten Hag
Ten Hag has done a magnificent job with a squad that is constantly evolving. After taking Ajax to the brink of the UEFA Champions League final in 2018/19, he lost many of the team’s key players that summer, but has simply rebuilt the side: same script, different actors.

Key player: Sébastien Haller
The first player ever to score nine goals in his first five UEFA Champions League matches. The Ivory Coast striker has taken to the top tier with aplomb.

Did you know?
Ajax have won their opening five UEFA Champions League group games for the first time in their history.

Bayern

UEFA ranking: 1
Group E: winners (W5 D0 L0 F19 A3)
Last season: quarter-finals (L on away goals vs Paris)
European Cup best: winners (1973/74, 1974/75, 1975/76, 2000/01, 2012/13, 2019/20)

Campaign in ten words: Scoring freely, hungry and deeply committed to title number seven.

UEFA.com Bayern reporter: Despite all their limitations through injuries and illness this season, it’s been relatively smooth sailing results wise and Bayern will again be a major contender in the spring if they continue to build on this rhythm. The tactical ploys new coach Julian Nagelsmann is currently implementing should also become even more visible as the campaign progresses.

Coach: Julian Nagelsmann
The 34-year-old has been diligent as successor to Hansi Flick, overseeing some fine displays and a cruise through the group stage. In 2016, he became the youngest coach in Bundesliga history when he took the Hoffenheim reins aged 28, leading them into the Champions League by finishing fourth the following year. He continued to impress in two seasons at Leipzig prior to joining Bayern in the summer.

Key player: Robert Lewandowski
The relentless Polish marksman hit new heights last term, scoring a record 41 German league goals as Bayern sealed a ninth straight championship. He has carried on that form this season with nine goals in five group fixtures and sits third on the list of all-time scorers in the Champions League.

Did you know?
Bayern have extended their record unbeaten streak in Champions League away games to 21 matches.

Chelsea

UEFA ranking: 4
Group H: position tbc (W4 D0 L1 F10 A1)
Last season: winners (W 1-0 vs Man. City)
European Cup best: winners (2011/12, 2020/21)

Campaign in ten words: Defensively outstanding with the attacking variety to challenge the best.

UEFA.com Chelsea reporter: This is some team. Everything Thomas Tuchel touches seems to turn to gold and his side have once again been a joy to watch. The Matchday 2 reverse in Turin aside, they look just as ruthlessly efficient as they were during last season’s knockout phase. It will take quite something to stop them.

Coach: Thomas Tuchel
The coach took over last January and immediately went 14 games unbeaten. The former Mainz and Dortmund boss was a runner-up with Paris in 2020 before going one better with the Blues last season. His Midas touch is yet to desert him.

Key player: Jorginho
The 2020/21 UEFA Men’s Player of the Year is a metronomic presence in midfield who more often than not dictates the tempo of his team and the match.

Did you know?
The Blues have conceded just three goals in 12 UEFA Champions League games since Tuchel’s arrival.

Inter

UEFA ranking: 24
Group D: position tbc (W3 D1 L1 F8 A3)
Last season: group stage
European Cup best: winners (1963/64, 1964/65, 2009/10)

Campaign in ten words: Strong defensively and creating plenty of opportunities but not clinical.

UEFA.com Inter reporter: Simone Inzaghi’s Inter may be less solid than Antonio Conte’s version, despite the same 3-5-2 system, but the Nerazzurri are certainly playing more attacking football compared with last season. They have missed an incredible number of chances, particularly against Real Madrid and Shakhtar. Should they become more clinical up front, they could go a long way.

Coach: Simone Inzaghi
A Serie A and three-time Coppa Italia winner as a player with Lazio, the 45-year-old also brought a domestic cup to Rome during his five seasons in charge. From a tactical viewpoint, he is another maestro of the 3-5-2, like his predecessor Conte.

Key player: Nicolò Barella
Awarded the title of best midfielder in Serie A last term, the 24-year-old already seems the complete player. Capable of playing a creative role, sitting deep or going box to box, Barella is continuing to improve after his pivotal part in Inter’s 2020/21 Scudetto success and Italy’s UEFA EURO 2020 triumph.

Did you know?
European champions in 2010, Inter have reached the knockout stage for the first time in a decade.

Juventus

UEFA ranking: 8
Group H: position tbc (W4 D0 L1 F9 A6)
Last season: round of 16 (L on away goals vs Porto)
European Cup best: winners (1984/85, 1995/96)

Campaign in ten words: Blend of impressive veterans and youngsters with potential; lacking consistency.

UEFA.com Juventus reporter: Massimiliano Allegri rejoined Juventus in May but he is still searching for the magic dust that carried Juve to two finals during his first spell. Very inconsistent in Serie A, Juve were impressive with four wins in as many games to start their European campaign but the 4-0 defeat at Chelsea on Matchday 5 brought the Bianconeri down to earth.

Coach: Massimiliano Allegri
The 54-year-old returned to the bench with a mission after two sabbatical years. He led Juventus to the Champions League finals of 2015 and 2017 but lost on each occasion.

Key player: Federico Chiesa
After tasting EURO glory with Italy, the winger is continuing his progression and turning into a real leader of this Juve team. He scored the only goal in the crucial victory over Chelsea in Turin.

Did you know?
The Bianconeri have made the final five times since their last triumph in 1996 but have always failed to add a third success in the competition. No club have lost more finals than their seven defeats.

Liverpool

UEFA ranking: 3
Group B: winners (W5 D0 L0 F15 A5)
Last season: quarter-finals (L 1-3agg vs Real Madrid)
European Cup best: winners (1976/77, 1977/78, 1980/81, 1983/84, 2004/05, 2018/19)

Campaign in ten words: A perfect start made possible by an in-form attacking unit.

UEFA.com Liverpool reporter: The Reds have left their challengers for dust, storming to the Group B summit without dropping a point. It’s not been plain sailing, though, as they have shown plenty of mettle to battle back against top-quality opposition in AC Milan and Atlético.

Coach: Jürgen Klopp
Liverpool boss since 2015, Klopp guided the Reds to Champions League glory in 2018/19 and to their first English title in 30 years the next season. A striker turned defender at Mainz, he lifted two Bundesliga titles with Dortmund before heading to Anfield.

Key player: Mohamed Salah
The Egypt forward has been the face of this Liverpool side since arriving from Roma in 2017. A star at Basel, he first landed in England with Chelsea in 2014, but has proved a major talent since joining the Reds, his pace, intelligence and finishing helping him bag 31 UEFA Champions League goals for the club. He has seemingly gone up another notch this term.

Did you know?
Liverpool have been European champions six times – more than any other English team. That is as many titles as Bayern, with Milan and Real Madrid the only sides to have won more.

Manchester City

UEFA ranking: 2
Group A: winners (W4 D0 L1 F17 A8)
Last season: runners-up (L 0-1 vs Chelsea)
European Cup best: runners-up (2020/21)

Campaign in ten words: Guardiola’s free-flowing outfit have been mesmerising to watch at times.

UEFA.com Man. City reporter: City have arguably taken their game to another level this season. They came so close to that elusive first title last term and Guardiola has raised the bar once more as he chases a first UEFA Champions League triumph since 2011. When on song, their football is peerless.

Coach: Josep Guardiola
One of the most decorated coaches in the game, the 50-year-old won this competition twice with Barcelona. He has scooped three league titles apiece at the helm of the Catalan club, Bayern and City.

Key player: Kevin De Bruyne
The 30-year-old schemer passed 250 appearances for the club last season and remains a talismanic figure in their midfield despite the riches around him. He has endured something of a stilted campaign but remains key.

Did you know?
Guardiola reached his eighth Champions League semi-final last season – the joint-most in the competition’s history alongside José Mourinho.

Manchester United

UEFA ranking: 9
Group F: winners (W3 D1 L1 F10 A7)
Last season: group stage (UEFA Europa League runners-up)
European Cup best: winners (1967/68, 1998/99, 2007/08)

Campaign in ten words: Ronaldo has brought salvation to a topsy-turvy season so far.

UEFA.com Man. United reporter: Jadon Sancho thumped home his first Red Devils goal to confirm their spot in the knockouts with a game to spare. In the midst of a turbulent Premier League campaign, United recovered from an opening-day upset against Young Boys to stabilise their European season at least.

Coach: Ralf Rangnick
The 63-year-old ‘professor of football’ has replaced Ole Gunnar Solskjær as United’s interim manager until the end of the season. Having coached clubs including Hoffenheim and Schalke – who he guided to the semi-finals in 2011 – Rangnick then oversaw Leipzig’s meteoric rise from the fourth tier to the Bundesliga and Europe’s elite.

Key player: Cristiano Ronaldo
The Portuguese veteran has justified his summer return to Old Trafford, netting six times, and in each of their group games. His last-gasp heroics against Villarreal and Atalanta secured United’s last-16 berth.

Did you know?
United have been English champions a record 20 times, but have won only two major trophies – the 2015/16 FA Cup and the 2016/17 UEFA Europa League – since Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down in 2013 after 27 years in charge.

Paris Saint-Germain

UEFA ranking: 7
Group A: runners-up (W4 D0 L1 F17 A8)
Last season: semi-finals (L 1-4agg vs Man. City)
European Cup best: runners-up (2019/20)

Campaign in ten words: Star-studded team with huge potential still seeking the right balance.

UEFA.com Paris reporter: Despite coming second in their group to Man. City, Paris remain among the chief contenders for the trophy. The 2019/20 runners-up have everything required to go one better this term – not least attacking talent aplenty in Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi and Neymar – but they must improve their consistency in Europe and Mauricio Pochettino needs to find the best way to support his ‘MNM’ spearhead.

Coach: Mauricio Pochettino
The brains behind Tottenham’s surprise run to the 2019 final, the Argentinian replaced Tuchel at the Paris helm in January 2020, some 20 years after signing for the club as a defender.

Key player: Kylian Mbappé
Competing for the limelight with Messi, Neymar and Ángel Di María, the France starlet has been the main source of goals for Paris in this season’s tournament, providing devastating runs into the final third, assists and lethal finishes.

Did you know?
When Paris overcame Bayern in the 2020/21 quarter-finals, it was the first instance in Champions League history of the previous season’s runners-up eliminating the holders in the knockout stage.

Real Madrid

UEFA ranking: 6
Group D: position tbc (W4 D0 L1 F12 A3)
Last season: semi-finals (L 1-3agg vs Chelsea)
European Cup best: winners (1955/56, 1956/57, 1957/58, 1958/59, 1959/60, 1965/66, 1997/98, 1999/2000, 2001/02, 2013/14, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18)

Campaign in ten words: Occasional setback but steady progress while blending youth and experience.

UEFA.com Real Madrid reporter: Madrid’s strong form on the road – three wins, nine goals, none conceded – underpinned their progress. With Karim Benzema and Vinícius Júnior delivering the goods, the Merengues could afford a surprise stumble at home to debutants Sheriff. Madrid are where they want to be, and from here they’re always a threat.

Coach: Carlo Ancelotti
The manager who steered Madrid to ‘La Décima’ in 2014 returned last summer for a second stint in charge. He is one of just three coaches to have won the European Cup/Champions League on three occasions.

Key player: Thibaut Courtois
A star performer since arriving from Chelsea in 2018, the Belgium goalkeeper has recently inked a new deal, keeping him at the club until 2026.

Key player: David Alaba
The ex-Bayern star needs no introduction to followers of the European game and is seen as the man to fill Sergio Ramos’ boots at the back. With ten German league titles and two UEFA Champions League crowns already, the versatile left-footer undoubtedly has pedigree.

Key player: Vinícius Júnior
The Brazilian forward is growing in stature in Madrid, becoming a more regular starter and increasing his consistency. His double against Liverpool in last season’s quarter-final opener signalled his class.

Did you know?
Real Madrid have never failed to make it through the group stage of the Champions League.

Sporting CP

UEFA ranking: 26
Group C: runners-up (W3 D0 L2 F12 A8)
Last season: UEFA Europa League play-offs (L 1-4 vs LASK)
European Cup best: quarter-finals (1982/83)

Campaign in ten words: Mightily impressive recovery after September setbacks for vibrant young side.

UEFA.com Sporting reporter: The outlook was bleak after the Lions opened their first group stage in four years with back-to-back defeats but three straight wins – and big ones at that – saw them through to the knockouts for only the second time. Some debut campaign for 37-year-old coach Rúben Amorim.

Coach: Rúben Amorim
The former Portugal midfielder masterminded Sporting’s first Liga title in 19 years during his first full season as coach. The Lions set a league record for the longest unbeaten sequence in a single campaign – 32 matches unbowed – and dispatched Braga in the League Cup final.

Key player: Sebastián Coates
Sporting’s skipper was the key component of a miserly defence that conceded 20 goals and kept as many clean sheets in 34 games last season. The 31-year-old, who has passed 40 caps for Uruguay, is an aerial presence in both areas.

Key player: Pedro Gonçalves
He had netted just seven career goals for Famalicão before joining Sporting in August 2020 but ended his first term in Lisbon as the league’s top scorer with 23. The 23-year-old started this campaign in similar form after winning his first two Portugal caps in June.

Did you know?
Sporting had progressed from the group stage on only one of their eight previous attempts in the Champions League era.