Champions League draw nears: Sporting to discover opponents | OneFootball

After finishing the league phase in seventh place, the penultimate spot for direct access to the Champions League round of 16, Sporting avoided the play-off—a round in which they were eliminated last season by Borussia Dortmund—and were left with four possible opponents, now reduced to two: Real Madrid and Bodø/Glimt.

Benfica was initially part of that group, but the possibility of an unprecedented European knockout tie against their eternal rivals fell through with Benfica’s elimination by Real Madrid, the record title holders (15), who won both legs (1-0 away and 2-1 at home).

On Tuesday, Bodø/Glimt surprised everyone by eliminating Inter Milan, three-time trophy winners and runners-up in two of the last three editions, triumphing 5-2 on aggregate, in their debut season in Europe’s top club competition. Hailing from the Arctic Circle and Europa League semifinalists in 2024/25, the Norwegians defeated the Serie A leaders twice (3-1 at home and 2-1 away), right in the middle of their domestic season’s transition phase.

Bodø/Glimt had finished the main phase in 23rd place, the penultimate play-off spot, with the same nine points as Benfica, Olympique de Marseille, Pafos, and Union Saint-Gilloise, benefiting from goal difference, the first tiebreaker criterion.

The Scandinavians have never faced Sporting, but last season they beat Porto and Braga in the Europa League group stage. Meanwhile, Real Madrid has four wins, one draw, and one loss against the Lions, who, in knockout rounds, were eliminated by the Spaniards in 1994/95, in the first round of what was then called the UEFA Cup. The Merengues finished the league phase in ninth place, with 15 points, one behind Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting, and Manchester City, all of whom qualified directly for the round of 16.

The draw for the round of 16 and subsequent rounds will take place on Friday at 11:00 local time (12:00 in Lisbon), in Nyon, Switzerland, with Sporting holding a seeded status, thanks to their presence in the top 8 of the league phase.

As for the dates, the two legs of the next round are scheduled for March 10 or 11 and March 17 or 18. Sporting already knows they will play the first leg away and the second leg at Estádio José Alvalade.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.