Napoli to take on Eintracht Frankfurt in Champions League round of 16

Napoli’s Eljif Elmas, top, celebrates with teammate Kim Min-jae during a Serie A match between Napoli and Atalanta in Bergamo, Italy on Saturday. [XINHUA/YONHAP]

 
Napoli will face Eintracht Frankfurt in the round of 16 at the 2022 Champions of League next year as the Serie A leaders push to reach their first quarterfinals.
 
Napoli were drawn against 2021-22 Europa League winners Frankfurt in the Champions League Round of 16 draw on Monday, with the two sides set to face off in two legs on Feb. 21 and March 15 next year.
 
The Partenopei arrive at the matchup in the middle of a phenomenal run that sees them undefeated domestically and having dropped just one competitive game since April, making them arguably the best team in Europe right now.  
 
With a rapid, dynamic attack, Napoli aren’t just eking out small wins, but are absolutely hammering their opposition, racking up 32 Serie A goals and 20 Champions League goals in a total of 19 games.
 

Champions League ambassador Turkish former footballer Hamit Altintop shows the paper slip for Napoli during the draw for the round of 16 of the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League in Nyon, Switzerland on Monday. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

 
Domestically, Napoli lead Serie A by a clear six points. In the Champions League, the Italian club’s sole loss of the season was their last game against Liverpool, putting them tied on 15 points apiece, but allowing the Partenopei to take the top spot with a big plus-14 goal difference.
 
Unlike the vast majority of round of 16 contenders, Napoli also have relatively few players that are going to arrive at the new year exhausted from international duty after the 2022 Qatar World Cup, as Italy, Nigeria and Georgia all failed to qualify.
 
Frankfurt, meanwhile, are a slippery opponent.  
 
On paper the German club may be a fairly easy mark for the mighty Napoli, but the club has proven time and time again that when it comes to European matchups they are always a contender.
 
The knockout stage of the 2021-22 Europa League saw them take down Real Betis, Barcelona, West Ham and Rangers, while they drew with Tottenham Hotspur and beat Marseille and Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League group stage this year.
 
Frankfurt currently sit in fifth place in the Bundesliga with seven wins, two draws and four losses, while Napoli top Serie A with 11 wins and two draws.
 
The hottest ticket in the round of 16 draw is likely Liverpool vs. Real Madrid, a rematch of the 2021-22 Champions League final, with Real looking to repeat their success in May.
 
Elsewhere in the draw, RB Leipzig will take on Manchester City, Club Brugge will face Benfica, AC Milan will play Tottenham Hotspur, Borussia Dortmung will take on Chelsea, Internazionale play Porto and Paris Saint-Germain face Bayern Munich.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]