The Champions League returns: European soccer's battle of titans

The UEFA Champions League returns with the first legs of the round of 16 after a two-month break. On Tuesday, RB Leipzig will host Real Madrid in Germany, while Copenhagen, one of the big surprises of the tournament, will face Manchester City, the defending champion of the highest competition in European soccer. In both duels, the visiting teams open as favorites and serious contenders to lift the title.

The second day of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 will take place on Wednesday. In France, the team led by Kylian Mbappé, Paris Saint-Germain, will face Real Sociedad. The Spanish team dazzled in the group stage by finishing in first place in the standings ahead of other clubs considered slight favorites. The match between Lazio and Bayern Munich, another of the prime contenders to lift the Champions League trophy, will also be held on Wednesday in Rome.

Next week, four other UEFA Champions League round of 16 games will be played. On Tuesday, Feb. 20, PSV Eindhoven and Borussia Dortmund will measure forces in the Netherlands, and Inter Milan will compete against Atlético de Madrid in one of the most even battles of this round. For the coach of the Spanish team, Diego Pablo Simeone, it will be a special match, since he was a player for the Italian team for two seasons.

The duels between Porto-Arsenal and Napoli-FC Barcelona will close the first leg of the round of 16 on Wednesday, Feb. 21. The second legs of the round will be played on March 5, 6, 12 and 13.