The UEFA round of 16 of the Champions League has finally arrived, and it has many soccer fans very excited. This competition allows fans to see what soccer club is the most powerful in Europe. It also allows fans to compare different leagues from around Europe. For the last three years, UEFA Champions League has been won by Spanish teams—Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Both of these teams are led by the greatest players in the world at the moment: Cristiano Ronaldo for Real Madrid and Lionel Messi for Barcelona. They are the favorites for most likely team to go to the finals for yet another run. Real Madrid won last year against Atletico Madrid.
However, the teams in the round of 16 this year are packed with superstar talent. Young teams like Paris Saint Germaine, Juventus, and Atletico Madrid make any championship run difficult for other teams due to their ability to score and play defense well enough to win games.
Although Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich of Germany are highly favored to win the Champions League this year, it is very likely that they may be eliminated by one of the other teams if they end up facing each other.
There are many players during this tournament that fans should keep an eye out for. Paulo Dybala, for example, is the great Argentian striker who plays for the Italian club Juventus. At only 23 years old, Dybala has had a great season with Juventus, alongside fellow Argentinian forward for the team Gonzalo Higuain; these two together are a daunting dup for other opponents to face on defense.
Another key player is Cristiano Ronaldo, Portuguese striker for Real Madrid, who is a threat to any team he plays against. After winning Champions League last year, he has definitely been a major factor in the team’s success. Ronaldo has won the FIFA Player of the Year title due to his remarkable goal-scoring skills and his success in all competition.
Other players to watch out for include the dangerous trio of Messi, Suarez, and Neymar on Barcelona. These three forwards are some of the best in the world, and are capable of winning any competition. Offense is no worry for Barcelona; however, the only problem is the alarming confusion in their defense which could be a major factor in their upcoming game against Paris Saint Germain. Out of the three, Messi stands out the most due to his skill; he can arguably be considered one of the greatest soccer players of all time.
The Champions League this year will be very exciting and fans should expect to see things not yet seen in soccer, due to the changes in both teams and players.