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Its about time already! The UEFA Champions League Round of 16 is approaching fast and football fanatics around the globe will already have started planning about how they will feast on the mid-week midnight madness.
While the UCL never disappoints us in terms of entertaining fixtures, the same can't be said of every player who participates in the competition.
The Champions League often becomes a stage where nostalgia runs high, as players sometimes have to face their former clubs. This time around too, there are eight players who will be walking down the memory lane as they walk out on the pastures they once called home.
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That being said, here are eight players who will face their former employers in the round of 16.
#8 Klass Jan Huntelaar (Real Madrid vs Ajax)
Klass Jan Huntelaar joined Real Madrid in 2009 but played only 6 months for the Spanish giants. He left the club after having meagre playing opportunities due to competition with Raul Gonzalez, with 8 goals in 20 games under his belt.
However, this isn't the first time the Dutchman will face his former club. He came face to face against them on the same stage at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2015 and scored a brace in an emphatic 4-3 win.
Now aged 35, Huntelaar may not be their talisman, but will definitely play a bit-part role in the clash.
Also see : Gold Cup Standings, EPL Transfer News, Fantasy Premier League
#7 Matija Nastasic (Manchester City vs Schalke 04)
Serbian defender Matija Nastasic is already looking forward to facing his ex-club when Schalke and Manchester City lock horns in the Champions League round of 16. Ahead of what promises to be an enthralling contest, the 25-year-old said,
“I’m pleased we have drawn City. These will be two very special matches for me as I played for the Citizens before signing for Schalke. Consequently, I’ll get to meet a few familiar faces. We know how strong our opponents are but we will give it our best shot.”
Nastasic wore the blue shirt of City on 51 occasions for two-and-a-half years. He called it quits in January 2015 after failing to cement his place in the starting XI, and joined Schalke 04. Although he was sidelined a lot due to injuries, the Serb managed to win a Premier League medal in 2014, making sure that he had a happy memory to cherish when he left the club.
All stats via transfermarkt
#6 Alvaro Morata (Juventus vs Atletico Madrid)
If there was anything certain, Alvaro Morata's days at Chelsea were numbered. The Spaniard had lost his sharpness and in a bid to resuscitate his career, he joined Atletico Madrid this January.
Facing Juventus in the Champions League will be his first big test at the club. Alvaro Morata plied his trade for the Old Lady from 2014 to 2016.
In the said time span, he scored 27 goals in 93 games for the Italian champions. He clinched 2 Serie A titles, 2 Coppa Italia titles and a Supercopa Italiana medal, while also making an appearance in Juve's 2015 UCL final loss to Barcelona in 2015.
It will be interesting to see if Morata does prove to be a difference and prove his doubters wrong against the colours he wore on his sleeve once.
#5 Mario Mandzukic (Atletico Madrid vs Juventus)
The Atletico Madrid vs Juventus fixture will have one player on each side facing his old employers. Mario Mandzukic will be visiting his old club mates as the two sides lock antlers in the round of 16.
The Croatian striker may have played only one season with Atleti, but the fans still fondly remember him for his emphatic goal-scoring skills in a 4-0 win against Real Madrid. During that season, he netted 20 goals in 43 games for the Rojiblancos.
Four years down the line, Atletico will be facing a fan-favourite Juve striker known for his impeccable goalscoring skills, something they don't need an introduction to. Given that Juventus are the favourites to go through to the next round, it remains to be seen if Mario Mandzukic proves to be the man to put his former club to the sword.
#4 Xherdan Shaqiri (Bayern Munich vs Liverpool)
Xherdan Shaqiri seems to be enjoying his time at Anfield, doesn't he? The Swiss attacker is on course to win the Premier League and be a part of the great club's history.
However, Shaqiri will also be equally hungry for tasting Champions League success after doing so with Bayern Munich as a youngster in 2013. He was a part of the Bavarians' treble-winning squad that year and was touted to leave for Liverpool in 2014, only for Bayern to spurn the Merseysiders' advances.
Four years down the line, he is now with the Kop and readying himself to face the most cherishable team of his career.
Liverpool vs Bayern Munich will be one of the most exciting clashes in this round. As for Shaqiri, what we can guess and expect is that the Swiss attacker will only grow hungrier for another UCL medal when he remembers all the good times he enjoyed at the Allianz Arena.
#3 Leroy Sane (Schalke 04 vs Manchester City)
In the same clash where Klass-Jan Huntelaar struck a brace against Real Madrid, there was a certain Leroy Sane making his Champions League debut for Schalke. Then aged 19, the German winger also found the net in the 4-3 win, capping his debut with a memory to cherish.
Four years fast forward, its high time for Schalke to face the beast they created, the one they let go off to Manchester City in 2016. Leroy Sane is one of the most feared wingers in the Premier League, known for his thunderous pace and habit of tormenting defenders on a daily basis.
Holding Sane at bay will be a crucial aspect of any game plan Domenico Tedesco devises if he plans to trump Pep Guardiola and his mighty giants. As for the German winger, meeting the old faces as foes will definitely be an internal battle he will have to overcome.
#2 Samuel Umtiti (Lyon vs Barcelona)
Widely regarded as one of the best centre-backs in the world at the moment, Samuel Umtiti will be put to a tough test both physically and mentally, as Barcelona take on his ex-employers Lyon in the round of 16.
Umtiti, a youth product of the famous Lyon academy, swapped sides to join the Catalans in 2016. Since then, he has won a World Cup and a couple of other titles with Barcelona and is counted amongst the top five defenders in any such list.
When he walks out of the tunnel at the Lyon Stadium, Samuel Umtiti will be foes against friends like Nabil Fekir and Anthony Lopes, with whom he shares fond memories of growing up together both as persons and as footballers.
Umtiti has been haunted by injury problems this season. However, underestimating the Frenchman isn't an option, since his old friends very well know that on his day Samuel Umtiti is downright unsurpassable.
#1 Angel di Maria (Manchester United vs Paris Saint Germain)
While every other homecoming on this list promises to be one filled with fondness and nostalgia, the same cannot be said about this one.
Angel di Maria left Manchester United for Paris Saint Germain in 2015 following a torrid year in the Premier League. Since then, he has been conquering France with PSG every season.
However, the not-so-fond memories will return to haunt di Maria as he visits Old Trafford to face Manchester United. It will be particularly interesting to see how he is greeted by the fans.
The Old Trafford faithful are regarded as one of the best fan bases in the world and are known for showering endless love on their former players. Ask David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo for instances.
However, as much as we cannot guarantee whether Di Maria will be received with open arms, what is assured is that the 30-year-old will be a menace to impede when he takes to the pitch. Also, an interesting fact to know, he will face his former club just a day before he turns 31!
PSG may not have Neymar in their ranks for the clash, but the Argentinian will make sure his Brazilian counterpart isn't missed too much.
