Valencia knows its potential rivals for the next round of the Champions League
After the second qualifying round for the final phase of the Champions League, Valencia already knows who its potential rivals will be in the decisive knockout stage, which will be played in just two weeks. The team, led by Nuno Espirito Santo, will be part of pot number one, along with Manchester United, Sporting Lisbon, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Bayer Leverkusen. These teams cannot be drawn against Valencia. Pot number two consists of Monaco, Rapid Vienna, CSKA Moscow, Club Brugge, and Lazio, any of which could be Valencia's opponent.
Monaco and Rapid Vienna secured their spots in the next round last Tuesday. The French team defeated Young Boys convincingly, while the Austrian team eliminated a Champions League champion, Ajax. The rest of the qualifying matches took place today. CSKA Moscow came back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Sparta Prague and progress to the next round. Club Brugge also staged a comeback, defeating Panathinaikos 3-0 to overturn a 2-1 first-leg loss. Shakhtar Donetsk eliminated Turkish side Fenerbahçe, causing Lazio to become one of the potential rivals for Valencia after being excluded from pot number one.