Borussia draw Manchester City in UCL round of 16

The draw for the UEFA Champions League round of 16 took place at the ‘House of European Football’ in Nyon on Monday. The Foals will take on Manchester City.

Borussia’s Champions League round of 16 opponents have now been confirmed – the Foals will take on Manchester City in the next round. The pairings were made by Stéphane Chapuisat, a Champions League winner with Borussia Dortmund in 1997, under the supervision of UEFA general secretary Giorgio Marchetti, who assisted with the draw. The 16 teams were drawn from two pots; the first pot consisted of the eight group winners from the previous stage, while the eight runners-up found themselves in the second pot. Manchester City were unbeaten in the previous round as they topped Group C. Pep Guardiola’s side collected 16 points and finished ahead of Porto (13), Olympiakos (3) and Olympique Marseille (3).

The Foals already have history with Manchester City. The two sides met in the 1978/79 European Cup quarterfinals, when Borussia progressed to the semis thanks to a 1-1 draw and a 3-1 win in the return leg. In 2015/16 and 2016/17, Borussia faced Manchester City in the Champions League group stage two years running. The Foals lost both matches in 2015/16, 2-1 and 4-2, before losing 4-0 in Manchester in 2016/17. Gladbach collected a point at home that season, however, drawing 1-1.

The UCL round of 16 first legs are scheduled for 16^th/17^th and 23^rd/24^th February 2021, before the return legs take place on 9^th/10^th and 16^th/17^th March. As group winners, Manchester City will enjoy home advantage in the return leg, meaning that the first leg will take place in Mönchengladbach. Exact times and dates for the fixtures will be announced by UEFA at a later date.

The quarterfinals will follow on 6^th/7^th and 13^th/14^th April, with the semifinals set for 27^th/38^th April and 4^th/5^th May. The 2020/21 Champions League final will take place on 29^th May at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul.