Follow Greek Investment Immigration and Life in Greece: On the evening of December 16, Beijing time, the matchups for the Round of 16 in the 2013-2014 UEFA Champions League were announced in Nyon, Switzerland. Manchester United will face the Greek team Olympiacos in the knockout stage. Manchester United is very pleased with this draw, but Olympiacos' coach Michel does not want to surrender early.
After drawing Olympiacos in the Round of 16, Manchester United promptly accepted an official interview from UEFA. Club secretary John Alexander, representing Manchester United at the Champions League draw ceremony, stated: “If you look at the draws for Arsenal and Manchester City, it shows why you must finish first in your group. No matter who you ask, this is a good draw. In Greece, Manchester United is a very popular club, so we are very happy to go there to compete.”
Manchester United announced on its official website that due to the schedule for the Round of 16 in the Champions League, the timing of a league match will be adjusted: “The match against Crystal Palace will be rescheduled to Saturday, February 22, 2014, at 5:30 PM (local time in the UK) due to the Champions League schedule.”
Although Manchester United is clearly the stronger team, the Greek team Olympiacos does not want to concede defeat. Coach Michel stated: “For us, this is a victory for football, even though we are going to compete in a football sanctuary like Old Trafford. Manchester United is a great club, a powerful machine, and we will face two tough matches. We respect Manchester United, but our goal is to one day become a team like them. It may sound crazy, but I am not afraid of any opponent.”
In terms of public opinion, British media overwhelmingly favor Manchester United's advancement. Renowned journalist Neil Ashton from the Daily Mail analyzed: “For David Moyes, this is definitely a good draw. Manchester United is facing the weakest team among the remaining 16 teams in the Champions League. This is an excellent opportunity to advance. For the Greek team's coach, former Real Madrid star and Spanish international Michel, Manchester United's strength is indeed too overwhelming.”
The Guardian pointed out: “Although both are in the city of Manchester, Manchester United and Manchester City have completely different draws in the Round of 16 of the Champions League. This may determine their fate in this season's Champions League knockout stage.” The Daily Mirror and BBC also noted that compared to the other three major Premier League giants, Manchester United has the best luck in the draw and can almost celebrate victory. The Daily Telegraph specifically emphasized that in historical encounters, Manchester United has won all four matches, showing a significant advantage.