Manchester United were drawn against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League round of 16, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi set for another showdown, but controversy surrounded Monday’s draw.
The aftermath was shrouded in confusion after it appeared United’s ball in the draw was not put back properly after an initial error. United were originally drawn against Villarreal, but rules state teams from the same group cannot face each other in the first knockout round.
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Villarreal were then drawn against Manchester City. It was not immediately clear if United’s ball was put back into the draw, which could have led them to face Atletico Madrid. But Liverpool were placed in this part of the draw incorrectly, with the Reds having been in the same group as Atletico. The LaLiga side then drew Bayern Munich.
Sources told ESPN that UEFA are meeting to discuss the validity of the draw, with an announcement expected on whether it will be done again expected shortly. UEFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment by ESPN.
Ronaldo and Messi faced each other in the Champions League group stage last season, with the Portugal international scoring twice as Juventus secured a 3-0 win at Barcelona.
United and PSG faced each other at the same stage of the 2018-19 campaign, and the Premier League club progressed to the quarterfinals after a stunning result at the Parc de Princes.
The French giants earned a 2-0 win at Old Trafford in the first leg, but United shocked PSG with a Romelu Lukaku double and a last-gasp Marcus Rashford penalty in Paris to go through.
PSG avenged their elimination last season when they secured a 3-1 win at Old Trafford as United were knocked out of the competition during the group stages.
Ronaldo is seeking to win his sixth Champions League trophy and his second at United, while Messi has won the competition four times.
Messi also picked up a record seventh Ballon d’Or trophy last month, while Ronaldo has won the award five times during his career.
Atletico Madrid will meet Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in another standout tie in the competition.
Bayern enjoyed a perfect winning record in the group stages, while Atletico progressed to the round of 16 with a dramatic final-day win at Porto.
Manchester City face Europa League holders Villarreal, while Liverpool were drawn against FC Salzburg.
After progressing to the knockout stages at the expense of Barcelona, Benfica will play against Real Madrid for a place in the quarterfinals.
Champions League holders Chelsea will face Ligue 1 champions Lille after Thomas Tuchel’s side finished second in their group.
Sporting CP will face Juventus while Inter Milan meet an in-form Ajax side.
Group winners will be away in the first leg, with ties to be played on Feb. 15-16 and Feb. 22-23. Return legs will be played on March 8-9 and March 15-16.
The away goals rule has also been abolished in European tournament knockout ties this season.
The rule, which had been in place since 1965, was used to determine a winner when teams were level on aggregate after a two-legged match. The team that had scored more goals as the away side were awarded the victory. But from now, this will be replaced by extra time and penalties.
UEFA will draw the quarterfinal and semifinal ties on the same day for this season, scheduled for March 18.
The final will take place on Saturday, May 28 at Krestovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
ROUND-OF-16 DRAW:
Benfica vs. Real Madrid
Villarreal vs. Manchester City
Atletico Madrid vs. Bayern Munich
FC Salzburg vs. Liverpool
Inter Milan vs. Ajax
Sporting CP vs. Juventus
Chelsea vs. Lille
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Manchester United
