The Showdown: FC Bayern Munich vs. Bayer Leverkusen in the UCL
Bayern Munich clash with Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League contest in Germany
Nyon (dpa) - The Champions League lights up with an intriguing German face-off, as record champions FC Bayern Munich go head-to-head with champions Bayer Leverkusen. The titans of the Bundesliga will collide in the round of 16 on March 4/5 and 11/12. After two league matches and a cup clash, this will mark their fourth and fifth encounter this season. Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund take on the French side OSC Lille.
The first leg will be hosted in Munich, with Bayern having underperformed in the group stage and needing to fight through the playoffs. The second leg will take place a week later in Leverkusen. The league matches ended in draws, while Bayer claimed a 1:0 win in Munich in the DFB-Pokal and have been audience favorites for the title since then.
For these two major German clubs, potential opponents in the Champions League’s restructured format were limited to only two. Instead of Spanish-German duels, there will now be a fierce Bundesliga showdown. Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid will battle it out for a quarterfinal spot in the city derby.
Eberl had a soft spot for Atlético
"Let's see what happens. If you say Europa League, you'd like to play internationally," Bayern's sporting director Max Eberl said before the draw, with a slight favoritism towards Atlético. Leon will face their prime domestic rival but miss the chance to challenge the title-holder Kylian Mbappé's team.
The draw decided the tournament layout all the way to the final on May 31 in Munich. The victor of Bayern vs. Leverkusen will square off against Inter Milan or Feyenoord Rotterdam in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, FC Barcelona or Dortmund could be potential adversaries.
Dortmund, currently 11th in the Bundesliga and under heavy national scrutiny, will also meet a non-front-runner in the round of 16 after Sporting Lisbon in the playoffs. "Frankly, it doesn't matter who we end up playing," said sporting director Sebastian Kehl about the draw. Dortmund will host the first leg against Lille.
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- The Champions League showdown between Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen promises to be exciting, as these German titans battle it out for a spot in the quarterfinals.
- FC Bayern Munich, who underperformed in the group stage, will need to fight hard in their clash against Bayer Leverkusen, particularly in the European Leagues.
