Champions League and Europa League draws: how many risks for the Italians
After the last day of the Champions League and Europa League single group stages, four Italian teams will play for access to the round of 16 through play-offs: Inter, Juventus and Atalanta for the Champions League, Bologna for the Europa League. Today, starting at 12 noon in Nyon, Switzerland, the draw for the Champions League knockout phase play-offs will be made, followed by the Europa League play-offs.
Many risks in the two urns for the four Italians who, however, are all seeded in today’s draw. The Champions League draw involves the club pair (9th/10th) being drawn with the club pair (23rd/24th), the pair (11th/12th) with the pair (21st/22nd) and so on. Inter, as 10th at the end of the regular season, could face one between Bodo/Glimt, 23rd, and Jose Mourinho’s Benfica, 24th. Clearly, the’idea of playing against the Special One is romantically appealing but very dangerous.
Juventus, since thirteenth, will face one between Club Brugge, nineteenth, and Galatasaray, twentieth. Galatasaray plays an old acquaintance of Italian soccer, namely Osimhen, a former Napoli striker (mentioned to Juventus many times in the past). Finally, Atalanta, 15th, will face either Borussia Dortmund, 17th, or Olympiacos, 18th. The German club, which was just beaten by’Inter Milan, is a team to avoid, especially because of its strength behind home walls.
The matches valid for the Champions League play-offs will be played over eight days between the first leg, scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 17, and Wednesday, Feb. 18, and the return leg, scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 24, and Wednesday, Feb. 25. All three Italian teams, as seeded teams, will play the return match at home.
Finally, Bologna, thanks to its 10th place finish in the Europa League regular season, will play for access to the round of 16 against one between Dinamo Zagreb (a decidedly hot field in terms of fans) and Brann, a Norwegian team. First leg on Feb. 19, return scheduled for Feb. 26. As known, Roma has already qualified for the round of 16.
