Champions League Draw: FC Porto to face AS Roma in Round of Sixteen

Portugal’s FC Porto have been drawn against Italian outfit Roma for the first knockout stage of this season’s UEFA Champions League.

Roma were one of eight sides that Porto could potentially face, who were seeded for the draw after topping their Champions League group.

The last time Porto clashed with Roma was as recent as 2016, when they played a two-legged fixture in a bid to qualify for the Champions League group stage. And it was the Portuguese side who came out on top, with Roma getting three red cards over the course of the two matches.

The first match in Porto finished 1-1, setting up a finely poised battle for the return leg. But an early Felipe goal and two Roma red cards led to a 3-0 away victory, allowing Porto to cruise into the group stage.

Porto were the seeded side back then as well, and will be hoping to replicate the results on the pitch this time around to reach the quarter finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2016.

Roma, meanwhile, lit up the tournament last time around, reaching the semi-final of the competition last season, finishing the top of their group in the process, ahead of both Atletico Madrid and Chelsea, while also beating Barcelona in the quarters, coming back from 4-1 down to win on away goals.

Roma will therefore provide stern competition for the Portuguese champions, with the matches occurring next February.

Roma currently sit 6th in Serie A, a huge 22 points off leaders Juventus, and qualified from their Champions League group on 9 points, behind Real Madrid and ahead of both Viktoria Plzen and CSKA Moscow.