BY APESIN ADEMOLA.

With the set-up for the first knockout  stage of the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League completed, some clubs are paired against familiar foes.

Liverpool v Bayern München

Last year’s finalists Liverpool had played seven times against Bayern München , prevailing two times, sharing honours on four other occasions with the German champions winning only once.

Their last match-up in the 2001 UEFA Super Cup on August 24, 2001, which English Premier League current leaders won 3-2.

In 1981, Liverpool played goalless with Bayern in the first leg of the European Cup semi-final and edged the Germans out on away goal rule having played 1-1 in Munich.

Liverpool’s current manager Jürgen Klopp will be up against a familiar side in the Round of 16 this time. He hasfaced Bayern more than any other team in his managerial career with 29 matchesso far, winning nine, drawing four and losing the rest.

AFC Ajax v Real Madrid

Ajax had played 12 times against Real Madrid in the Champions League and the European Cup competitions with the defending champions recording seven wins, one draw and four losses.

Ajax triumphed over Real Madrid in the semi-final of the 1972/3 European Cup, which the Dutch team eventually won, Ajax beat the Spaniards 2-1 in the first leg at Amsterdam and won in Madrid 1-0 with Juventus falling 0-1 in the final.

Their other matches were at the group stage of the Champions League, the recent face-off being five years ago.

Olympique Lyonnais v Barcelona

In six Champions League matches against Lyon, Barcelona have won four times and drawn the remain.

Both teams first met at the preliminary group stage in the 2001/2 editions which the Catalans won 3-2 away and 2-0 in Barcelona.

In 2007/8 season, Barcelona were paired in Group E along with Lyon, Rangers and VfB Stuttgart. Although the Spanish club won 3-0 at home and battled 2-2 in the return leg, the two teams qualified to the knockout stages.

On the way to winning the Champions League in the 2008/9 season, Barcelona faced Lyon in the Round of 16 forcing 1-1 draw away and emerging victorious 5-3 at home.

Atlético Madrid v Juventus

Both teams were paired in the same Group A of the 2014/5 UEFA Champions League. Atlético won the group and the Old Lady also progressed to the second round as runners-up.

In their head-to-head in that group , the LaLiga side won the first leg 1-0, while the return leg in Turin ended goalless.

Both teams had also clashed in the semi-final of the 1964/5 edition of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup with the home team winning each of the two legs 3-1, while Juventus won the decisive fixture by the same margin.

Schalke 04 v Manchester City

Both teams are yet to meet in the Champions League.

In other European competitions, they have had three encounters with the current English champions winning two and losing the other.

In the semi-final of the 1969/70 UEFA European Cup Winners Cup on April 1, 1970, Schalke 04 prevailed 1-0 at home, while City won the second leg 5-1. Manchester City eventually won the trophy that season.

The last match between both clubs was a decade ago in the 2008/09 UEFA Cup, Manchester City victorious 2-0 at the one-match group stage.

Tottenham Hotspur v Borussia Dortmund

Spurs and Dortmund were in the same group in the last episode of this competition. The English club won 3-1 at home and 2-1 in Dortmund to win the group and eliminate the German side who finished third.

Their other match-ups were in the Europa League in the 2015/16 season. Dortmund won home and away 5-1 aggregate.

AS Roma v FC Porto

FC Porto sent Roma out of the Champions League in last season’s play-off phase. The Portuguese club, who had won the competition two times, played 1-1 at home but beat Roma 3-0 in the return leg in Rome.

Manchester United v Paris Saint-Germaine

These teams don’t have any previous match-up in competitive matches.