Despite the loss against Royal Antwerp, FC Barcelona at least return home with some joy. This is because the Catalans have retained their position as leaders of Group H regardless of their result in Belgium.
With 12 points to their name, FC Barcelona have edged out FC Porto as group leaders on the head-to-head basis. As a result, Barcelona will now be facing a competitor in the knockout stages who has finished second in their respective group.
Regardless of teams being second or first, the Champions League is filled with competitive opponents. For Xavi’s side, any kind of competition will be tough competition.
Currently, the available opponents for Barcelona are already known. While the knockout stages are scheduled to begin in February of next year, Barcelona will already be excited about the draw for the Round of 16. From Group A to Group G, here is a rundown on all possible opponents for Barcelona.
From Group A, Barcelona can face off against Danish side FC Copenhagen. They finished right behind Bayern Munich with 8 points to their name.
PSV Eindhoven, from Group B, is another opponent that Barcelona could possibly face in the Round of 16. The Dutch side, currently home to the likes of Sergino Dest, finished second behind Arsenal with 9 points.
Real Madrid’s Group C sees Italian side Napoli emerge as the second-placed team. With 10 points accumulated, Walter Mazzarri’s team will be another to look out for.
Group D’s secondary side is none other than Inter Milan, last season’s Champions League finalist. They have a history with Barcelona, and last season’s group stage is something Xavi’s side could still be vengeful about.
Group E is next, and the possible opponent for Barcelona from there is Italian side Lazio. They finished behind Atletico Madrid, having earned 10 points.
Group F, labeled the group of death by many, presents Paris Saint-Germain as the second-placed side. On the final matchday, a 1-1 draw against Borussia Dortmund was enough to see PSG go through.
Lastly, Barcelona could face RB Leipzig from Group G. The German outfit is an intense opponent, and they finished second in their group with 12 points, only behind Manchester City. A reunion against Xavi Simons, a former Barcelona prodigy, would also be quite the headline.
In conclusion, Barcelona can face seven teams from between Group A to Group G. The draw for the 2023-24 edition of the Uefa Champions League Round of 16 is scheduled to take place on the 18th of December at 12:00 pm CET in Switzerland.
Representatives of each club, including FC Barcelona, will be present to oversee the draw live as it happens. Below is the list of seven possible opponents for Barcelona in the 2023-24 edition of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.
- 1: F.C. Copenhagen
- 2: PSV Eindhoven
- 3: SSC Napoli
- 4: Inter Milan
- 5: S.S. Lazio
- 6: Paris Saint-Germain F.C. (PSG)
- 7: RB Leipzig