MADRID: The Madrid derby takes center stage in the round of 16 of the Champions League, with Atletico Madrid in a commanding position to try to finally get the best of rival Real Madrid in the European competition.

Madrid, the record 15-time European champion, have been a thorn for Atletico in the Champions League over the years, beating the city rival in two finals and eliminating it from the competition the other two times they faced off in the knockout rounds.

But this Atletico arrive for Tuesday’s first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium playing some of their best soccer since coach Diego Simeone took over more than a decade ago, and showing the confidence that they can take on the long-time rivasl head-on.

The round of 16 will begin this week to cap the inaugural season of a new Champions League format that featured a league phase and a playoff round.

The other last-16 matchups will include the local rivalry of German clubs Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen, and powerhouses Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool going against each other.

Atletico Madrid enter the match against Madrid in good form and enjoying one of its best seasons under Simeone. The team is ahead of its rival in the Spanish league standings, and is only one point behind leader Barcelona.

Atletico hasn’t lost any of its matches this season against either Madrid or Barcelona. In the Spanish league, it beat the Catalan club 2-1 in Barcelona and drew 1-1 in both games it played against Madrid. Atletico hasn’t lost to Madrid in four consecutive matches, having eliminated the city rival in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey last season.

“It’s a match with a lot of respect, against a great rival, who respects us in the same way.” Simeone said Monday. “For the city of Madrid it is spectacular that the two teams face each other and, for Spain, having a team in the quarterfinals is going to be fantastic.”

Simeone’s team finished fifth in the league phase of the Champions League, while Madrid was only 11th and had to play extra playoff games against Manchester City.

The last time Atletico faced Madrid in the Champions League, it was eliminated in the semifinals in 2017. It also lost to Madrid in the final both in 2014 and 2016, and in the 2015 quarterfinals.

Overall, Atletico has won only three of its 10 meetings against Madrid in UEFA competitions, with five losses and two draws.

“The derby is always a special match,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “They are always very even and very competitive matches, and it’s going to be like that again tomorrow (Tuesday). Atletico is having a very good season.”

Madrid is coming off a loss at Real Betis in the Spanish league, while Atletico won 1-0 against Athletic Bilbao.

PSG vs. Liverpool

Premier League leader Liverpool finished the league phase in first place but there was little reward as they will have to take on France powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16.

PSG struggled in the league phase, finishing in 15th place, but picked up momentum in the playoffs by routing fellow French club Brest 3-0 in the first leg and 7-0 in the return game at home, when seven different players scored.

Liverpool won seven of their eight Champions League matches this season, with the lone defeat coming at PSV Eindhoven in the final matchday, when it had little to lose.

Benfica vs. Barcelona

An in-form Barcelona, which had the second-best campaign in the league phase, will face a familiar foe in Benfica.

The two teams met in the league phase, with the Barcelona winning a 5-4 thriller in Lisbon. Benfica stunned Barcelona 3-0 at home in the group stage in 2021-22, and held the Spanish powerhouse to a 0-0 away draw in results that helped keep the five-time champion from advancing to the knockout stage at the time.

PSV vs. Arsenal

PSV Eindhoven brought one of the surprises of the league phase with its 3-2 win over Liverpool, and then it got past Juventus with an extra-time victory in the playoffs.

It will now another face another Premier League team in top form: An Arsenal squad that is second in the Premier behind Liverpool and that finished third in the league phase of the Champions League.

Bayern Munich vs. Bayer Leverkusen

The all-German encounter will feature a Leverkusen side that finished sixth in the league phase and a Bayern team that needed a stoppage-time goal by Alphonso Davies to get through the playoffs against Celtic.

Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen trails Bayern by eight points in the Bundesliga, but did not concede any attempts on target when the two played a 0-0 draw last month.

Other matchups

Last year’s runner-up, Borussia Dortmund will take on a Lille side that thrived in the league phase, finishing seventh after a campaign that included wins over both Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

Aston Villa also were a league-phase surprise, losing only once to finish eighth and set up the round-of-16 matchup against a Club Brugge squad that defeated Villa 1-0 at home in November. Brugge eliminated Atalanta in the playoffs.

Inter Milan conceded only once — in a 1-0 loss at Leverkusen — en route to a fourth-place finish in the league phase. It will face a Feyenoord team that will have Robin van Persie as its third coach in the Champions League this season.

DUBAI: Rohit Sharma warned his India team Monday to expect “fightbacks” and “nervy times” against Australia in the Champions Trophy last four in a rematch of the 2023 ODI World Cup final.

India hammered New Zealand by 44 runs Sunday to be unbeaten in three matches and top Group A of the 50-overs tournament played in Dubai and Pakistan.

They next face the Steve Smith-led Australia on Tuesday in Dubai for a place in the final of the eight-nation event.

Australia beat Ashes rivals England by five wickets in their opening match but their next two games were abandoned because of rain.

They are also missing several key players, but the Australians have a reputation for raising their game when it matters and beat hosts India in the World Cup final, the last time the two countries played an ODI.

“Look, it is a great opposition to play against,” skipper Rohit told reporters.

“All we have to do is what we have been thinking about the last three games and we have to approach that game in a similar fashion.

“We understand the opposition and how they play and stuff like that.”

Australia are on paper a weaker team from the one that beat India by six wickets in Ahmedabad in November 2023.

The world champions lost fast bowlers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood to ankle and hip injuries respectively for the Champions Trophy.

They are also without Mitchell Starc, who is out for personal reasons.

Mitchell Marsh is also absent with an injury and Marcus Stoinis announced his retirement on the eve of the tournament.

“Look, Australia have been such a great team over the years,” said Rohit.

“So we will expect some fightbacks, we will expect some nervy times as well in the middle.

“But that is how the game is being played these days. And you are talking about a semifinal.”

India went in with four spinners including two all-rounders in their last group match in Dubai and came up trumps with Varun Chakravarthy returning figures of 5-42.

Rohit said he will be tempted to keep the same combination against Australia.

“He just showed what he is capable of,” Rohit said of man of the match Chakravarthy, a wrist spinner with many variations up his sleeve.

“Now it is up to us to think and see how we can get that combination right. He did everything that was asked for ... it is a good headache to have.”

India have been slammed for playing all their matches at one venue, in Dubai, while other teams shuttle between three Pakistani cities and the UAE.

India refused to play in tournament hosts Pakistan because of political tension.

Rohit dismissed the notion it gives India an advantage.

“Even for us it is a little bit of a question mark as to which pitch is being played,” said Rohit.

“Because there are four or five surfaces that are being used here. I don’t know which pitch is going to be played in the semifinals.

“But whatever happens we will have to adapt and see what is happening and what is not. And this is not our home, this is Dubai.”