The two-legged Champions League Round of 16 matches have concluded.
Another draw ceremony was held at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, marking the final draw of this Champions League season. The results of the draw would directly influence the progression of the upcoming Quarter-finals, Semi-finals, and Final.
At the same time, the group avoidance and league avoidance rules were no longer in effect. Dortmund could potentially face any team.
Head coach Jürgen Klopp attended the draw at the UEFA headquarters as an invited guest. Jin Hayes did not join his teammates at the party; instead, he stayed at the Heinrich home to witness the reveal of their Quarter-final opponent.
On the night of the draw ceremony, the big screen showed the journey of the eight qualified teams.
Premier League: Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool;
La Liga: Barcelona, Villarreal;
Bundesliga: Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund;
Primeira Liga: Porto.
Porto, known as the "European Dark Horse," was a team that had previously won the Champions League unexpectedly with José Mourinho. Their current strength consistently ranks them among the top in the Primeira Liga and a formidable force in the Champions League. They secured first place in their group, ahead of Arsenal.
In the Round of 16 knockout stage, they drew 2-2 away and 0-0 at home against Zenit Saint Petersburg, advancing to the Champions League Quarter-finals on away goals.
Barcelona entered the knockout stage as the top team in Group C. Facing strong Ligue 1 opponent Lyon, Barça drew 1-1 in the first leg away, giving the French a glimmer of hope for advancement. In the second leg at Camp Nou, Barça showcased their powerful offense to all of Europe for the first time, easily defeating Lyon 5-2.
The possession-based football found its winning formula, and tiki-taka gradually began to emerge. However, at this time, Europe had not yet realised the terrifying potential of Barça, and the English media were still fantasising about Premier League teams monopolising three of the four Semi-final spots.
Defending champions Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson's invincible army, were unstoppable in the Premier League and faced few rivals in the Champions League this season. They topped their group and easily defeated Serie A champions Inter Milan 2-0 on aggregate over two legs in the knockout stage.
The iron defence composed of Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidić, and Edwin van der Sar performed excellently, maintaining their record of zero goals conceded in the Champions League this season. It was said that Manchester United's strongest player was Cristiano Ronaldo in the front line, but the real secret to their pursuit of silverware was the impenetrable defence in the back and Ferguson's masterful tactical arrangements.
Villarreal, currently third in La Liga and second in their Champions League group, drew 3-3 on aggregate over two legs against Panathinaikos in the knockout stage and advanced to the Quarter-finals on away goals. Like Porto, Villarreal was considered a lesser force among the eight teams.
Last season's Bundesliga champions, once the dominant force in the Bundesliga, were thoroughly outplayed by Dortmund in the league. However, in the Champions League, Bayern still maintained a certain level of dominance. They topped their group and advanced.
In the knockout stage, the coaching staff had already been replaced by Jupp Heynckes, and Bayern Munich erupted with powerful dominance. They won 5-0 in the first leg away and 7-1 in the second leg at home, a massive 12-1 aggregate scoreline, utterly crushing Portuguese side Sporting CP. After the two knockout matches, European media exclaimed, "The Southern King of the Bundesliga is back!"
Bayern Munich's odds of winning the Champions League instantly surged, placing them second only to Manchester United.
Chelsea's dream was shattered in the rainy night of Luzhniki after a penalty shootout loss in the previous Champions League final. In the new season, Luiz Felipe Scolari's results were poor, leading to the interim appointment of Dutch renowned coach Guus Hiddink. A change of coach is like a change of knife; the iron-blooded Blues once again delivered strong performances.
In the Round of 16, Chelsea faced one of the strongest opponents, Juventus, and eliminated the Italian side 3-2 on aggregate over two legs. Especially in the second leg, when Juve led 2-0 at home, Chelsea were on the brink. Didier Drogba scored to equalise the aggregate, and Frank Lampard's long-range shot was a last-gasp winner against Juve, completing the comeback. Never doubt Chelsea's fighting spirit in tough matches.
Liverpool has consistently been in the Premier League title race for the past two seasons and has reached the Champions League Semi-finals for many consecutive years. With numerous world-class superstars like Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, and Xabi Alonso at their helm, Liverpool forcefully topped their Champions League group and then annihilated Roma 5-0 on aggregate in the knockout stage, sending the last Serie A team home.
At this point, the three Serie A teams in the Round of 16—Juventus, Inter Milan, and Roma—were all eliminated by three Premier League teams.
Serie A was completely wiped out.
Borussia Dortmund, the biggest dark horse of this Champions League. They emerged from the 'group of death' through a trial by fire, defeating Real Madrid twice, Marseille twice, and remaining undefeated against Juventus. Their amazing record of 5 wins and 1 draw in the group stage stunned the world.
In the first leg of the knockout stage, they even played an astonishing attacking game at Arsenal's home ground. In the second leg, they ended the match within 30 seconds of the start, crushing Arsenal 6-3 on aggregate. Among the four Premier League teams, at least one was finally stopped at the Quarter-final door. Otherwise, this Champions League would again become Premier League vs. the rest of Europe.
First in both the Champions League top scorer and assist charts, a shining new star in Europe—the 16-year-old prodigy Jin Hayes led the Yellow and Black's youthful storm across Europe, shaking the world.
Watching the scenes flash across the big screen, Jürgen Klopp suddenly felt as if he had been transported through time. At the beginning of the season, he had never imagined that Dortmund could reach the Quarter-finals. Especially after being drawn into the group of death, Klopp thought Dortmund would only get to experience the Champions League atmosphere and had even prepared to contend for third place in the group, aiming to play in the Europa League if possible. He never expected to be sitting at the Quarter-final draw today, waiting for their Champions League Quarter-final opponent.
Returning to the Champions League after many years and reaching the Quarter-finals, Klopp couldn't ask for too much. No matter who they faced next, they would just try their best. After all, there were currently injury problems in the squad, and the team's personnel configuration had weaknesses.
Dortmund was not a top European team; their wins were entirely due to Jin Hayes's exceptional performance. Perhaps after strengthening the squad, next season would be the time for Dortmund to truly exert their full strength.
"What if we draw Porto or Villarreal?" Klopp couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope. That way, they could at least secure a Semi-final spot.
Unfortunately, Klopp's calculations fell through. The moment he saw the draw guest, Roma legend Bruno Conti, Klopp immediately had a bad feeling. This guy had drawn Dortmund into the group of death in the group stage, and then drawn strong opponent Arsenal in the Round of 16. He simply wasn't giving Dortmund a chance.
"Ah, ah, ah? It's him again!"
"Why is it still this person?!"
"Unfortunately, he's the only draw guest this season."
Bruno Conti's appearance made all Dortmund fans hold their breath, groaning in front of their televisions. Without surprise, with his familiar smile, he directly drew the first pairing. One of the weakest teams, Porto, was drawn. But their opponent was not Dortmund, but—"Chelsea FC!"
Chelsea vs. Porto.
In the guest seats, Chelsea coach Guus Hiddink smiled happily; they had drawn the best possible opponent. Barring any surprises, Chelsea should comfortably advance to the Semi-finals.
Next, there weren't many weak teams left for Dortmund, only Villarreal. Bruno Conti reached out and drew again. "Villarreal, who will their opponent be?"
In front of the TV, a group of Dortmund fans almost simultaneously prayed. "BVB, BVB, BVB!" Jin Hayes even heard Uncle Hans next to him close his eyes and pray to God. "Merciful Lord, please draw us next!"
The entire Heinrich family was present, including Maria, Frank, and old Fritz, watching the draw together. Anna, to avoid suspicion, deliberately sat in the corner, not letting Jin Hayes sit next to her. Jin Hayes could only sit next to Frank, looking at Anna across half the living room. Yet, she still deliberately sent a text message to tease him.
[Did you miss me?]
[No]
[Then no kissing for you today]
[No way, I'm coming over right now]
[Don't!]
Anna quickly cast a pleading look. Jin Hayes took the opportunity to bargain.
[Later, after they're asleep, meet at the swing?]
Anna carefully glanced at her family, who were focused on the draw, and suddenly felt a thrill of secret rendezvous.
[Okay, but you have to be more restrained today, my lips were swollen from your kisses yesterday]
Jin Hayes couldn't help but look at Anna across the room again; the girl quickly shielded her face.
"Pfft—…" Frank noticed their little interaction and almost laughed out loud. But soon, he couldn't laugh anymore.
"Liverpool FC! Villarreal's opponent is Liverpool!"
Well, the last weak team was also drawn.
The upper bracket was set: Chelsea vs. Porto, Villarreal vs. Liverpool. As expected, the two strong Premier League teams would meet in the Semi-finals. That meant, in the lower bracket—Manchester United, Barcelona, Bayern Munich—three world-class giants and Dortmund, the dark horse, remained.
At this moment, half the hearts of all Dortmund fans died. The only hope was that if Dortmund drew Bayern Munich, they could still eliminate Bayern based on their rich experience in the Bundesliga. Putting aside the German Cup defeat for a moment, Jin Hayes still maintained a perfect league record against Bayern. He was a genuine "Bayern nemesis."
"Bayern Munich's opponent is—Barcelona!" Great, the last shred of hope for Dortmund fans was shattered. Uncle Hans completely slumped on the sofa, his eyes hollow, his mouth twitching. "Heh heh, heh heh—"
The last opponent was self-evident. "Dortmund's opponent is—Manchester United."
Dortmund vs. defending champions Manchester United.
"This year's draw is truly terrible!" Klopp wore a professional smile, but inside he was cursing under his breath.