However, despite the consistency with which they excel in the competition — they haven't lost a two -
legged knockout game since 2013 — Valverde says reaching the final is still significant for the club.
Not exact matches
January = lots of matches to play with easy opponents, but its the month that test consistency and quality Febuary = we got Chelsea and Southampton, crucial first
knockout round UCL March = tough
game at Liverpool, Leicester and 2nd
leg of first round
knockout UCL April = Man City, tottenham and UCL quarter final May = Man Utd, Everton FA cup Final
You've got a wonderful opportunity to score your first Barcelona goal, in the process almost certainly killing a two -
legged Champions League
knockout game, and you want to — stop me if I'm wrong here — smack it as hard as you can?
Arsenal have certainly been impressive in the first
leg of each of their
knockout ties, beating Ostersunds and Milan without conceding a goal to take the pressure off heading into the second
game and they will hope for similar fortunes against Atletico if they are going to progress to the Final
Arsenal fans found out all we needed to know about the France international star Geoffrey Kondogbia this season, as the central midfielder was easily the Man of the Match when his French Ligue 1 club Monaco came to the Emirates for the Champions League first -
leg game of the
knockout stages.
Bayern have required emphatic victories in the second
legs of both their
knockout games already this season against Shakthar Donetsk and Porto, but they simply can't afford have a repeat of the
game in Portugal against the Catalans, as another 3 - 1 defeat will almost certainly leave them with too much do against a strike force of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar.
A
game with eight goals and many twists, was the highest - scoring first -
leg knockout tie in Champions League history.
I also watched four of Ajax's CL group stage
games last season (Real Madrid and Lyon home and away) and both
legs of their
knockout tie with United the year before.
The
knockout stages start with a trip to Stamford Bridge for the first
leg of the Round of 16 against Chelsea, and this is without a doubt the biggest
game of the season for both teams.