Ranking the 5 clubs with the most appearances in the UCL round of 16 fixtures | UEFA Champions League 2021-22
UEFA Champions League or UCL in short is one of the competitions that every football player dreams of winning or even playing in. Only the top three or top four clubs from each of the leagues in Europe secure qualification for the tournament every season. So, there are some usual suspects making it into the group stage each season.
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There's no guarantee that a big club will make it into the round of 16 from the group stage. Just take a look at Barcelona's campaign this season. They were drawn with Bayern Munich, Benfica and Dynamo Kyiv in Group E. But they finished third in the group and will now play in the Europa League.
The round of 16 action is set to return this week in the UCL. Hence, here we take a look at the five teams with the most appearances at this stage of the competition.
#5 Arsenal - 14 appearances in UCL round of 16
A surprising name on our list, but Arsenal are ahead of Manchester United in terms of the UCL round of 16 appearances.
However, the London-based outfit have failed to qualify for the competition since the 2016-17 campaign. They were eliminated from the round of 16 fixtures by Bayern Munich 10-2 on aggregate that season.
Finishing as runners-up in the 2005-06 campaign against Barcelona was their best-ever achievement in the competition.
They are currently in a tight race for the top four spots in the Premier League. They are currently in sixth position, two points off fourth-placed West Ham United, with three games in hand.
#4 Chelsea - 16 appearances in UCL round of 16
Reigning champions Chelsea are the most successful Premier League side in the round of 16 fixtures of the UCL.
The two-time Champions League winners have failed to make it to the round of 16 fixtures just twice since the 2003-04 season. They have also won the Europa League twice, in the 2012-13 and 2018-19 campaigns
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They face Ligue 1 side Lille in their round of 16 fixtures this season and should be able to secure a win here. They also rank fourth in aggregate wins in the round of 16 while also facing the fourth-most aggregate losses at this stage of the competition.