The 16 teams that will challenge the UEFA Champions League Big Year for the 2023-24 season have been decided. Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae could face his former team Napoli in the round of 16.

The group stage of the UEFA Champions League ended on the 14th Korea time. On the last day, Paris Saint-Germain France and FC Porto Portugal joined the round of 16.

The remaining teams in the round of 16 are Arsenal, Manchester City England, Atletico Madrid, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Real Sociedad Spain, Bayern Munich, Leipzig RB, Borussia Dortmund Germany, Inter Milan, Lazio, Napoli Italy, Copenhagen Denmark, and PSV Eindhoven The Netherlands.

By country, all four Spanish teams survived, while three Italian teams advanced to the round of 16. In Germany, three other teams except Union Berlin advanced to the round of 16. With Manchester United and Newcastle United falling, England is only two teams left. Denmark and the Netherlands each have one team left.

In the Champions League group stage, two teams will advance to the round of 16, and only the top-ranked team will be given a seed. This means that the first and second-ranked teams in the group stage will not play. In addition, teams from the same country cannot compete in the round of 16, and they will not meet even the opponent they met in the group stage.

Bayern Munich, where Kim Min-jae belongs, passed Group A with the top spot. Hence, the team will be able to meet the remaining six teams Copenhagen, Eindhoven, Napoli, Inter Milan, Lazio, Paris Saint-Germain, and Porto, excluding Leipzig, who is ranking second in Group G.

The match against Napoli is the so-called "Kim Min-jae Derby." Kim Min-jae left Fenerbahce in Turkiye last season and joined the Napoli team to win the Serie A title for the first time in 33 years, emerging as one of the world's best defenders. Along with the Serie A Defender of the Year award, he also ranked 22nd, the highest among defenders, at the Ballon d'Or award ceremony. Bayern Munich paid 50 million euros for a buyout to embrace Kim.

Kim Min-jae may meet Lee Kang-in in the round of 16. Paris Saint-Germain became a potential opponent in the round of 16 as it passed Group F in second place. Paris Saint-Germain has not only Lee Kang-in but also a world-class striker named Kylian Mbappe, so a showdown with Kim Min-jae, who has emerged as the world's best defender, is expected to attract great attention.

The team that secured the top seed in the group will definitely want to avoid is Paris Saint-Germain. In Group F, which includes Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund have secured the top seed. Inter Milan, the runner-up of last season's group, also passed the group league as the second-ranked team in Group D, and are thus shunned by teams that have seeds. Inter Milan is also currently ranking first in Serie A. If it meets Manchester City in the round of 16, it will meet again following last season's final. CBS Sports also explained that Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan are threatening teams that have seeds. 스포츠토토

If Paris Saint-Germain meets Real Sociedad, the No. 1 player in Group D, Lee Kang-in will face Takefusa Kubo. The two players, who had been studying in Spain for a long time since childhood, drew attention as they were close friends when it was revealed that they had exchanged messages of support at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. When Lee Kang-in played for Mallorca, he faced Real Sociedad in a match.

The UEFA Champions League draw will be held in Nyon, Switzerland, on the 18th.

The round of 16 will then be held on February 13 and 14, and 20 and 21 next year. It will then be followed by home and away on March 5 and 6, and on March 12 and 13.