By Oliver Trust
BERLIN, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Champions League last 16 draw has produced three Bundesliga versus Premier League matches as Bayern Munich will take on Liverpool, FC Schalke 04 will cross swords with Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund will meet Tottenham Hotspur.
It means the German clubs will meet many familiar faces on the road to the final in Atletico Madrid's Wanda Metropolitano on June 1 next year. If last season's Champions League form is anything to go on, the German trio might be seen as underdogs. However, things have changed in the current campaign as the country's clubs seem to have found the path back to success.
While Spain and England are represented by four clubs, the Bundesliga's three clubs are still in with a shot in the first knock-out round. Neither Bayern, Dortmund or Schalke can be considered to be favorites for their encounters.
Bayern's duel against the former Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp and the current Premier League leaders is the game that will attract the most interest from the German perspective. Klopp represents the good years of big rivals Borussia Dortmund when they won the league championship in 2011 and 2012; and thrashed Bayern 5-2 in the 2012 German Cup final.
A few years back, Bayern's bosses thought about taking on Klopp as their new coach but changed their minds due to his inexperience on the international stage.
This has now changed since he took over the Reds who have the former Bundesliga players Roberto Firmino (TSG Hoffenheim) and Xherdan Shaqiri (Bayern from 2012 - 2015) on their books next to Joel Matip (Schalke 04) and Naby Keita (RB Leipzig).
"They won't think, thanks heavens it's Liverpool. And we won't think, thank God its Bayern," Klopp commented after the draw. The 51-year-old is expecting a "duel on the very highest level."
He admitted to still be thinking about the defeat in last season's Champions League final where defending champions Real Madrid beat Liverpool 3-1 to extend their record to 13 titles.
Bayern performers like Robert Lewandowski and Arjen Robben said they are delighted at the prospect of facing Liverpool.
"It's going to be a great battle. We can go through," the Polish striker said. Currently, Liverpool has to be the favorite as they top the Premier League but Bayern seems to be finding form.
The team's mood will be affected by the outcome of 2018's last two league games against Leipzig and Frankfurt. If Bayern (nine points behind leaders Dortmund) remain in the running for the league championship then they will still be highly motivated.
At first glance, Dortmund's job against Spurs appears to be easier. "It is a fifty-fifty game, but one, we intend to win. We have played them twice and won once," said Dortmund's CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke.
The question will be what is more important to the Black and Yellows in February and March: concentrating on the league or investing all they have in the Champions League? Like Watzke, Dortmund's Director of Sport Michael Zorc said fans can expect a fully concentrated team in the games against the third-placed team in the Premier League.
Schalke are the clear underdogs against former Bayern coach Pep Guardiola and their former midfielder 22-year-old Leroy Sane and Gelsenkirchen-born midfielder and German international Ilkay Guendogan.
Former German international, Bayern and Liverpool professional Dietmar Hamann said he is only expecting one of the German clubs to make it to the next round. The 2005 Champions League winner said he is going for Dortmund, while Bayern and Schalke won't be among the happy ones.
