17 December,2019 09:04 AM IST | Nyon (Switzerland) | AFP
Man City boss Pep Guardiola and Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane
Nyon (Switzerland): Manchester City face 13-time winners Real Madrid while holders Liverpool will return to the scene of last season's Champions League triumph after they were drawn against Atletico Madrid in the Last 16 of the competition on Monday. Pep Guardiola's City, who are trying to win a first Champions League crown, face a tough task against Real, the record winners of Europe's top club prize, for a place in the quarter-finals. The two clubs met in the 2015-16 semi-finals, the furthest City have progressed in the tournament. That tie was won 1-0 on aggregate by Madrid.
"It is a difficult one, of course. Real Madrid have won 13 times so they are the best. We want to be the best, so we want to beat them," City director of football Txiki Begiristain said. Interestingly, the clash is a first competitive meeting between Guardiola and Zinedine Zidane, who won the Champions League three times in a row with Real from 2016.
"They are a big opponent, very powerful in every sense," said Real director Emilio Butragueno. "It's going to be an exciting tie - one of those that makes us love this wonderful sport."
Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp's side will travel to the Wanda Metropolitano, where Liverpool lifted the trophy in June, for the first leg of their tie against Atletico. "The task is going to be difficult because we have opponents who are the reigning champions," said Atletico director Clemente Villaverde.
"They are the champions, they have all the assets to be called the best team in Europe. We will have to use all our hard work and our experience. We know they are not going to make it easy," he added.
Nyon (Switzerland): Manchester United will take on Club Brugge in the Last 32 of the Europa League while struggling Arsenal will face Greek side Olympiakos following Monday's draw in Nyon. Ajax were drawn with Spanish outfit Getafe, while Serie A team Inter Milan travel to Ludogorets.
CL Last-16 fixtures
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