With 16 points, FC Bayern have once again progressed to the last 16 of the Champions League as commanding group winners. Coach Thomas Tuchel's side will find out who they will face in the knockout stage on Monday, December 18, at 12:00 CET, when the draw for the last 16 teams in Europe's premier club competition is made at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland.
In the round of 16, teams cannot yet come up gainst sides from their own country, so RB Leipzig (Group G) are therefore ruled out as possible opponents for the Reds, as are Copenhagen, who finished second in Bayern's group and also qualified for the knockout stages. The German record champions will therefore face one of the runners-up from the other groups next year:
Group B: PSV
PSV have made it through to the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time since the 2015/16 season. The reigning Dutch cup holders finished second in Group B with nine points behind Arsenal (15 points) and ahead of Lens (8) and Sevilla (2). PSV opened their campaign with a disastrous 4-0 defeat at Arsenal but were unbeaten in their remaining games.
PSV are currently on course for the title in the domestic Eredivisie and have a ten-point lead over closest rivals Feyenoord after 15 matchdays. The previous record between Bayern and PSV speaks for itself: in eight meetings in Europe, FCB have won six times and drawn once, with PSV winning on one occasion. The two clubs last met in the 2016/17 CL group stage, with the men from Munich winning both matches (4-1 at home, 2-1 away).
Group C: Napoli
Napoli are Bayern's potential opponents from Group C. The reigning Italian champions (10 points) finished second behind Real Madrid (18) and ahead of Braga (4) and Union Berlin (2) to book their spot in the last 16. Last year, Napoli reached the semi-finals of Europe's premier club competition. This season, coach Walter Mazzarri's team have fallen somewhat short of expectations in Serie A and currently lie in sixth place with 24 points from 15 games. Bayern and Napoli have met four times in Europe so far and the honours have been evenly matched, with each team winning once and drawing twice. The last encounter took place in the 2011/12 CL group stage. The first leg in Naples ended 1-1, while FCB ran out 3-2 winners in the second leg in Munich.
Group D: Inter Milan
Will there be a clash with one of last year's finalists? Inter Milan finished second in Group D to qualify for the knockout stage of the Champions League. The Italians had to settle for a 0-0 draw in their final game against Real Sociedad, which meant the Spaniards finished top of the group on goal difference. Inter currently lead the Serie A table with 38 points from 15 games. In Yann Sommer and Benjamin Pavard, the Nerazzurri squad features two players who last season plied their trade in a Bayern jersey. So far, FCB have the edge with five wins from nine matches (one draw, three defeats). Their last meeting came in last year's group stage, with the Reds winning both the first and second legs 2-0.
Group E: Lazio
Lazio were the third potential opponents from Italy for Bayern and progressed to the round of 16 in Group E. Although the Biancocelesti were beaten 2-0 in the first-place decider at Atlético Madrid and thus missed out on winning the group, the team from Rome had already qualified for the last 16. Coach Maurizio Sarri's side are currently tenth in Serie A with 21 points from 15 games. Bayern and Lazio have met twice in the Champions League so far. Both encounters in the round of 16 of the 2020/21 season were won by the Reds (4-1 in Rome, 2-1 in Munich).
Group F: Paris Saint-Germain
Bayern's potential opponents in Group F are real heavyweights. Paris Saint-Germain were held to a 1-1 draw by Borussia Dortmund in the face-off to win the group. Thanks to AC Milan's simultaneous 2-1 win at Newcastle United in the group's parallel match, PSG ended up in second place, thereby securing their place in the round of 16. There could therefore be a repeat of last year's clash at the same stage between Bayern and PSG. Back then, FCB came out on top with two wins (1-0 in Paris, 2-0 in Munich). The men from Munich's overall record in Europe against the French side is eight wins compared to seven.
Group H: Porto
A 5-3 home win against Shakhtar Donetsk on the final matchday of the group stages secured Porto's place in the round of 16 as runners-up in Group H behind Barcelona. The Portuguese cup holders are currently in second place in the Primeira Liga but are level on points with leaders Sporting Lisbon. FC Bayern and Porto have met seven times in Europe so far, with FCB winning three times, the Portuguese side coming out on top twice and two games ending all square. The last meeting was in the CL quarter-finals of the 2014/15 season, and after a 3-1 first-leg defeat in Porto, the men from Munich still managed to progress with an emphatic 6-1 home win.
Round of 16 in February/March 2024
The first legs in the round of 16 will be played on February 13/14 and 20/21, 2024, with the second legs kicking off on March 5/6 and 12/13. As group winners, Bayern will play the first leg away from home.
Watch the highlights of Bayern's last group match against Manchester United again here:
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