Real Madrid and Bayern Munich lie in wait for Arsenal and Leicester
Champions League holders and German giants come second in their groups to add some jeopardy to the last 16 draw
Real Madrid 2 Borussia Dortmund 2
A goal two minutes from time by Marco Reus gave Dortmund a share of the spoils against Real Madrid, and relegated the reigning Champions League holders to second place in Group F.
And that could be disastrous news for Arsenal or Leicester as it means they could be paired with the Spanish giants when the last 16 Draw is made on Monday. To make matters worse the two English clubs were already facing the prospect of being drawn against Bayern Munich, and the Gunners could also end up faing Porto, who thrashed Leicester 5-0 on Wednesday night, although the Foxes still finished top of Group G.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Two goals from French striker Karim Benzema either side of half-time put Real Madrid well in control of the match, but the Germans fought back, first through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's strike on the hour mark and then the late effort from Reus.
"We let them off the hook when we missed a couple of chances," admitted Real coach Zinedine Zidane. "Our intensity reduced a little in the second half, but we still had chances to score more goals."
Dortmund's fightback took the gloss of the fact the result meant Zidane equalled Real's record of 34 consecutive matches unbeaten, a feat that has stood since Leo Beenhakker's 1988-89 squad avoided defeat for six months between October and April. That vintage won 25 and drew nine of their matches, just as Zidane's side have done, although they really should have added another victory on Wednesday night.
The fact they didn't leaves them awaiting Monday's draw with a degree of trepidation although that will be lessened by the knowledge that they won't be paired against Barcelona or Atletico Madrid, as clubs can't be drawn against sides from their own nation.
"I wanted to finish first and we did all we could to finish first," reflected Zidane who, asked about the last 16 draw replied: "I don't want Juventus."
Despite their 3-1 win over CSKA Moscow, Tottenham are the only English side not to make it through to the last 16, leaving Leicester, Arsenal and Manchester City to carry the flag in the knockout phase.
As group winners, the Gunners and the Foxes should in theory get the easier draw on Monday but there's no guarantee given the list of second-placed finishers. As well as Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, the Premier League pair could end up facing Bayer Leverkusen, Benfica or Sevilla in the last 16.
In fact if anything, the Sky Blues have done themselves a favour finishing second in Group C behind Barcelona. Their opponents will be one of Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Monaco or Napoli. The first legs of the Last 16 will be played on Feb 14-15 and Feb 21-22 with the second legs on March 7-8 and 14-15.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'The disconnect between actual health care and the insurance model is widening'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
Cautious optimism surrounds plans for the world's first nuclear fusion power plant
Talking Point Some in the industry feel that the plant will face many challenges
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Explore new worlds this winter at these 6 enlightening museum exhibitions
The Week Recommends Discover the estrados of Spain and the connection between art and chess in various African countries
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
The wit and wisdom of Sven-Göran Eriksson
In Depth The first foreign coach to manage England on football, life and death
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Premier League's spending cap: levelling the playing field?
Talking Point Top clubs oppose plans to link spending to income of lowest-earning club, but rule could prevent success gap from widening
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
English football and the etiquette of leaving the stadium early
Talking Point The belief that 'true fans stay to the end' does not always apply
By The Week UK Published
-
The European Super League: a 90th-minute reprieve?
In the Spotlight A European court ruling has potentially breathed new life into the breakaway football league
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
2023-2024 Premier League predictions: champions, relegation and golden boot
feature A look at the top flight talking points and pundit picks for the new season
By Mike Starling Published
-
‘Genuine visionary’: is Pep Guardiola the greatest of all time?
feature Spaniard has now won two trebles following Man City’s Champions League triumph
By The Week Staff Published
-
Champions League final: Man City vs. Inter predictions and preview
feature Can Guardiola’s team finally win the Champions League and complete a historic treble?
By Mike Starling Last updated
-
Man City: can ‘one of the best sides in history’ win the treble?
feature Guardiola’s Premier League champions have two more trophies in their sights
By The Week Staff Published