Barcelona vs. Napoli headlines Champions League round of 16 draw; Man City, Barcelona, Liverpool drop points

Hello! The Champions League group stage may have just ended, but it’s already time to look towards the round of 16. I’m Pardeep Cattry with a look at this morning’s draw, as well as a recap from the weekend’s action.

Footy fix

All times U.S./Eastern

Monday, Dec. 18
La Liga: Girona vs. Alaves, 3 p.m. ESPN+

Tuesday, Dec. 19
Club World Cup: Urawa Red Diamonds vs. Manchester City, 1 p.m. FIFA+
Bundesliga: Dortmund vs. Mainz, 2:3o p.m. ESPN+
EFL Cup: Chelsea vs. Newcastle, 3 p.m. ESPN+

The Champions League’s sweet 16 has its draw

Getty Images

It was a nice start to the week for several of Europe’s top teams after they received favorable draws for the Champions League round of 16, but the knockouts will not be smooth sailing for everyone. Look no further than Barcelona, who Jonathan Johnson argues got the hardest draw with Napoli in his piece looking at the winners and losers of Monday’s event.

Johnson: “As part of a very tough draw for La Liga clubs, Xavi’s men arguably have the toughest task with Napoli a known threat on the continental stage — especially for a Barca side that is not really finding its stride so far this season. This game is steeped with history given the late, great Diego Maradona’s history on both sides of this particular divide and it ranks as one of this season’s best round of 16 ties. Unless the Spanish champions’ form picks up, they could be staring down the barrel at a premature exit.”

As for some of the tournament favorites, the round of 16 draw makes it likely that the quarterfinals will see several top-tier sides face off in a fiercely competitive round of play that might serve as a perfect appetizer for an exciting end to the season. Here’s James Benge’s assessment on some of the other round of 16 ties.

Benge: “The four favorites on the betting markets prior to the draw will feel their place among the leading contenders is even more assured thanks to the magic of the ping pong balls. Manchester City picked up Copenhagen. Bayern Munich will meet up with a Lazio side that has a negative goal difference in Serie A for a reason. Arsenal might find that Porto are a tough out, well versed in the dark arts of the knockout rounds, but there is precious little in their attack that ought to induce fear in William Saliba et al. Real Madrid, ravaged by ACL injuries, would be the least happy with their lot but RB Leipzig have hardly set the continent alight.”

Here’s the draw in full.

Porto vs. Arsenal
Napoli vs. Barcelona
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Real Sociedad
Inter vs. Atletico Madrid
PSV vs. Borussia Dortmund
Lazio vs. Bayern Munich
Copenhagen vs. Manchester City
RB Leipzig vs. Real Madrid

Sponsored by Paramount+

Sponsored by Paramount+

Back to the drawing board for Europe’s best teams

Getty Images

While the Champions League draw is the bearer of mixed news for Manchester City and Barcelona today, the European giants have some more pressing problems to deal with. Both tied over the weekend, dropping points from winning position and adding distance between them and top spot in their respective leagues.

City had a 2-0 lead over Crystal Palace on Saturday before the visitors’ first goal in the 76th minute and then conceded a last-gasp penalty to ensure the game would end 2-2. The reigning champions now have just one win in their last six Premier League games, and Chuck Booth notes that City’s new habit of relinquishing leads has a lot to do with that form.

Booth: “With City only conceding just over a goal per game this season, [Pep] Guardiola’s assessment of his defense is right, but the little moments have hurt them. Those moments might be too much for them to overcome if they have to chase down two, or even three teams for the title instead of one like last season. Every moment is bigger. It’s not that’ there’s an overarching issue with City as much as it is that the chasing pack improved more than City did during the summer, and Liverpool are healthier than they were at this point last season.”

Later that day, Joao Felix’s 55th minute strike was not enough to secure a win for Barcelona, and the team eventually tied 1-1 with Valencia. The reigning champions now have just two wins in their last five La Liga games and are seven points off top spot, which might mean the temperature is starting to increase on Xavi’s seat after an imperfect first few months of the season. Between their domestic and European campaigns, Barcelona have been ineffective in front of goal, and their draw with Valencia is no exception — they racked up 16 shots and 3.26 expected goals but scored just once. They are also dramatically underperforming on their expected goals tally in league play this season — they lead the league with 37.84 expected goals but have scored just 31 goals so far.

Yesterday. Liverpool and Manchester United added to the list of ties with a 0-0 match of their own. The Reds were on the front foot throughout with nearly 70% possession and 34 shots but looked disjointed going forward and managed to put just eight of their shots on goal. it’s a small setback for Liverpool, who slip down to second and sit a point behind league leaders Arsenal, and the result comes with some lasting optimism — even in below-standard form, Jurgen Klopp’s side were able to generate a ton of chances. The game, though, also signals that there’s room for improvement despite their near-perfect start to the season.

  Top Stories

Lockyer update: Luton captain Tom Lockyer is in stable condition after suffering cardiac arrest during his team’s Premier League game against Bournemouth. 

Draw season: More on this morning’s draw, including a ranking of each tie, a closer look at Manchester City’s hopes against Copenhagen, Arsenal’s chances against Porto, Atleti’s matchup with  Inter, PSG’s tie with Real Sociedad. Plus, here’s the Europa League draw and some thoughts on the new format coming next season.

On the move: Jonatan Girardez, the Champions League-winning manager for Barcelona’s women’s team, confirmed he will leave at the end of the season — and could be on his way to the NWSL.

Weekend rewind: It was a good weekend for the likes of Arsenal, Inter, and Real Madrid, plus, Christian Pulisic is generating a positive response after his first few months at AC Milan and new signings might not be enough for Chelsea to correct course this season.

Cup conundrum: MLS announced that none of its senior teams will participate in next season’s U.S. Open Cup, a decision that has inspired plenty of backlash, and is just one of a series of changes the league will make for 2024.

Deals galore: The NWSL expansion draft served as the foundation for two notable trades over the weekend. Plus, here’s a look at the top 10 free agents available as the offseason is expected to heat up.

New competitions: FIFA confirmed that the first edition of the expanded Club World Cup will take place in the U.S. in 2025, and that the first edition of the annual Intercontinental Cup will begin next year.

Let’s hear it for New York: Longtime RB Leipzig player Emil Forsberg has joined the club’s U.S. counterpart, the New York Red Bulls, on a four-year deal.

Trending upwards: The USWNT rose one spot to second in the latest FIFA rankings, while Spain claimed top spot for the first time since winning the Women’s World Cup.

Best bets

Club World Cup: Urawa Red Diamonds vs. Manchester City, Tuesday, 1 p.m.
THE PICK: More than 3.5 goals scored (+114) — Manchester City may be on a slump at home, but a trip to the Club World Cup should serve as a pick-me-up. Expect City to take advantage of the fact that they are the heavy favorites in this one and record a convincing win in Saudi Arabia.
EFL Cup: Chelsea vs. Newcastle United, Tuesday, 3 p.m.

THE PICK: Both teams will not score (+114) — Chelsea’s inconsistent and Newcastle’s depleted, which does not bode well for either team’s chances for scoring. Expect a closely contested affair for a spot in the semifinals.

What’s on CBS Sports Golazo Network

 Morning Footy (Weekdays 8-10 a.m.): Hosts Susannah Collins, Charlie Davies, Nico Cantor and Alexis Guerreros help fans get their day started on the network’s flagship morning show with highlights, interviews and the biggest soccer storylines. Morning Footy is also available in podcast form, so you’ll never have to miss an episode.

 Box 2 Box (Weekday afternoons): The news-driven show quickly recaps all the latest headlines from around the world with panelists previewing the top matchups of the day. Catch Box 2 Box on CBS Sports Golazo Network on the CBS Sports app, PlutoTV and Paramount+. 

3⃣ Attacking Third (Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening): The leading women’s soccer podcast and social brand is now a live studio show. Just because the NWSL season is over doesn’t mean that our coverage of the women’s game is going anywhere. Our analysts will be breaking down the USWNT. NWSL offseason and European domestic season all winter long.

 Kickin’ It (Tuesday, 7 p.m.): CBS Sports Golazo Network’s new unfiltered interview show returns Tuesday Hosted by Kate Abdo, Clint Dempsey, Mo Edu and Charlie Davies, the group chat candidly with the biggest names from the Beautiful Game and share their stories from on and off the pitch. 

Call it What You Want (Monday night): A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Jesse Marsch and Charlie Davies cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States.

 Scoreline (Daily): Scoreline is the newest place for fans to catch up on all the biggest news and results impacting global football, match highlights from the top soccer competitions and all the can’t-miss goals from the day’s action, starting Thursday and airing seven days a week.

 How to watch: CBS Sports Golazo Network is a free 24/7 channel exclusively dedicated to offering unparalleled coverage of all the top soccer competitions worldwide. You can stream for free on the CBS Sports app, Pluto TV and Paramount+.