Who can carry Europe’s old rivalries into the quarter-finals?

Europe’s spring cup is a meeting place for clubs whose seasons have taken different roads. Domestic form offers one measure of their strength; the UEFA Champions League has its own standings, its own pressure and, now, two legs in which a single tie can change shape. The Last 16 begins on 4 March. Liverpool against Juventus has the clearest recent edge between the teams, but every pairing brings its own question: how much can a strong league-phase campaign count once the knockout round begins?

Liverpool v Juventus

The first leg at Liverpool on 5 March is the week’s most familiar contest, and not because the two clubs share a league. Liverpool are third in the English Premier Division on 51 points, with 16 wins, three draws and eight defeats from 27 games. Juventus have gone 12 league games unbeaten; Liverpool’s recent sequence includes a 1-1 draw at Galatasaray A.Ş. on 20 February.

Their meetings make this tie feel less like an introduction than a renewal. Juventus won 1-0 at home in March 2063, then drew 1-1 at Liverpool six days later. In March 2062, Juventus progressed after extra time and won 3-2 on penalties, following a 1-0 Liverpool defeat in the match. There is no need to manufacture a larger story: the recent record gives each leg its own memory. Liverpool will be without Edgardo Pérez, while Juventus’s unbeaten European run gives them a measure of calm to take into the first meeting. The return is at Juventus on 11 March; the prize for the side that advances is a place in the quarter-finals.

Ponferrada v FC Internazionale Milano

Inter’s domestic form is mixed, with two wins, a draw and two defeats in their last five; Ponferrada have won three, drawn one and lost one in theirs. Inter, meanwhile, have not lost in the competition since Bayern München beat them in September.

Their only listed meeting came on 1 November 2061, when Inter won 4-1. The present tie is a different occasion, though the visitors arrive with the stronger league-phase position. Federico Rocchi and Fran Belmonte are unavailable for Ponferrada, while Marcelo is out for Inter. The second leg is at Inter on 12 March, leaving the home side the task of making this first meeting count before the tie moves to Italy.

Vitesse v FC Nantes

Nantes have won 16 of 24 league games and arrive on a four-match winning run. Vitesse have 11 wins, six draws and five defeats from 22 matches.

The history between them is sparse and old. Nantes won 4-0 at Vitesse in 2050 and 3-1 at home in 2040; their meeting in 2039 ended 1-1. Those results offer context, not a forecast. The first leg belongs to the present sides, with Nantes bringing the higher league-phase finish and Vitesse beginning at home. The return is in Nantes on 12 March. Whoever reaches the quarter-finals will have had to negotiate two different settings, and Vitesse must first find a way to turn home advantage into something durable.

FC Sochaux-Montbéliard v Borussia Dortmund

Both sides are fifth in their domestic competitions: Sochaux have 38 points in Ligue 1 Uber Eats, Dortmund 41 in the Bundesliga. Sochaux have won 11 of 23 league games, while Dortmund have 11 wins from 23. Sochaux come into the tie after four consecutive league victories; Dortmund have had a more uneven sequence.

The meetings between them give the home side a reminder that the balance can shift. Sochaux drew 1-1 with Dortmund on 31 January 2063, and won 1-0 in 2054; Dortmund’s victory, 2-1, came in 2060. This time both sides have players missing: Miguel Ángel Ureña and Jesús Fuentes for Sochaux, Andreas Altenhöfer and Luiz Carlos for Dortmund. The answer will have to wait for the football; the tie is only half complete when they meet.