LIGI YA MABINGWA : KLABU AMBAZO TAYARI ZILIFUZU KWA RAUNDI YA 16 MWISHO.
We have our first five teams into the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 with two matchdays remaining in the group stage.
A day after 2002 champions Real Madrid and 2001 finalists Manchester City became the first teams to secure berths into the knockout round, Italian league leaders Napoli, Germany powers Bayern Munich and Belgian side Club Brugge joined them.
There will be a total of 16 teams that make it out of the group stage as the top two teams from Groups A-H reach the knockouts.
Real Madrid used a magical run to hoist the trophy during the 2021/22 knockout stages, eliminating a host of continental powers along the way: PSG (Round of 16), Chelsea (quarterfinals), Manchester City (semifinal), and Liverpool (final). They are now just four rounds away from defending their title and adding to their all-time record Champions League haul.
Teams in Champions League Round of 16 in 2022/23
The first teams have mathematically clinched berths to the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 to be played in February 2023.
There are still two group matchdays left to be played before the World Cup break, but we have five teams that are through from five different groups.
It remains to be seen whether these teams will move on as the first-place or second-place team in their respective group. Here are the Round of 16 qualifiers so far grouped by nation:
Nation Total clubs Clubs
Belgium 1 Club Brugge
England 1 Manchester City
Germany 1 Bayern Munich
Italy 1 Napoli
Spain 1 Real Madrid
When is the Champions League Round of 16 draw 2022/23?
The Champions League Round of 16 draw will take place on Monday, November 7, 2022 at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. It will be held a mere five days after the conclusion of the Champions League group stage on Wednesday, November 2. This will ensure that the knockout stage schedule is set prior to the break for the 2022 World Cup.
The draw is typically held at noon CET, or 6 a.m. ET (11 a.m. BST).
It's significant whether a team finishes first or second in its group. Teams that win their group will be drawn against one of the eight group runners-up, ensuring what on paper should be a more favorable matchup even though it doesn't always work out that way.
Teams hailing from the same country and the same group cannot be drawn against one another in the Round of 16. But those restrictions are removed for the rest of the tournament from the quarterfinals through to the final.
When are Champions League Round of 16 fixtures in 2023
European governing body UEFA spreads out the Round of 16 matchups over the course of a full month. There are three weeks between the first and second leg of each series.
Match 1st Leg 2nd Leg
RD16 #1 Feb. 14, 2023 Mar. 8, 2023
RD16 #2 Feb. 14, 2023 Mar. 8, 2023
RD16 #3 Feb. 15, 2023 Mar. 7, 2023
RD16 #4 Feb. 15, 2023 Mar. 7, 2023
RD16 #5 Feb. 21, 2023 Mar. 15, 2023
RD16 #6 Feb. 21, 2023 Mar. 15, 2023
RD16 #7 Feb. 22, 2023 Mar. 14, 2023
RD16 #8 Feb. 22, 2023 Mar. 14, 2023
Are there away goals in the Champions League?
Similar to last season, away goals scored will not serve as a tiebreaker during the Champions League knockout rounds if teams are even on aggregate goals.
Instead, series that are even on aggregate goals after the second leg will play 30 minutes of extra time. If the deadlock persists, a penalty shootout will decide the series.
The 2021/22 season was the first since 1965 that away goals were not used as a tiebreaker.
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