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Real Madrid finish 2nd in Champions League group

Xinhua, December 8, 2016 Adjust font size:

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane watched his side held to a 2-2 draw at home to Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday night for a second place in their Champions League qualifying group, saying he hoped they would not be drawn to play Juventus in the first round of the knockout stage of the competition.

"I don't mind finishing second, we are not going to worry about it and we will wait until the draw on Monday to see what happens," said Zidane.

The draw for the last 16 of the Champions League pits group winners against sides who finished second groups, but there are conditions: for a start in the last 16 cannot play other teams from their country, so that immediately rules out being drawn against Atletico Madrid or FC Barcelona.

Nor can team play a rival they have already met in the group stage, which means Madrid will not face Dortmund in the last 16.

That leaves five possible rivals: Napoli, Monaco, Leicester City, Juventus and Arsenal. Zidane is probably right to want to avoid Italian champions Juventus, who have habitually got the better of Madrid in Europe. But despite their positive form in the Premier League and in the group stage, Arsenal have not reached the quarter-final of the Champions League since the 2009-10 season.

Leicester were shock winners of last season's Premier League, but are struggling this season and although they finished top of their group, it was clearly the weakest in the competition and have no experience of the knockout stages in the Champions League.

Monaco have performed well and knocked Spanish side, Villarreal out of the preliminary round, but the French Ligue 1 is not as competitive as Spain's La Liga and Madrid would be clear favorites to qualify, while Napoli are currently fourth in Serie A with eight wins from 15 games.

Indeed compare the rivals Real Madrid could face with those Barcelona and Atletico Madrid could get in the last 16, they have been fortunate to finish second.

Barca could find themselves drawn against big spending Paris Saint Germain, Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Benfica or Porto and would definitely want to avoid Bayern, Dortmund or PSG in the next round, while Atletico Madrid would face virtually the same threat with Manchester City a possible rival instead of Bayern.

As Barca coach Luis Enrique commented ruefully after his side's win on Tuesday, "I'm sure we'll get a real gem in the draw," and looking at the options maybe Real Madrid have got lucky again. Endit