Multiple USMNT stars will take center stage in the next round of the Champions League, as determined by Friday's draw
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UCL Knockout Round Playoff draw completeAmericans will be in action in next phaseNext round will be two-legged affairFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Multiple members of the U.S. men's national team will compete for a berth in the Round of 16 in the next round of the Champions League.
As a result of Friday's Champions League Knockout Playoff Round draw, Christian Pulisic's AC Milan will play Dutch side Feyenoord, where he will meet a familiar face in fellow CONCACAF star Santiago Gimenez. Injured USMNT striker Folarin Balogun will not be fit for the match, but his club Monaco were paired with Portuguese powerhouse Benfica.
Meanwhile, central defending pair Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty had Scottish side Celtic paired up with Bundesliga heavyweights Bayern Munich. Also in Germany, Gio Reyna's Borussia Dortmund were paired with Portuguese side Sporting CP, where they will look to stop red-hot Sweden star Viktor Gyokeres.
The marquee match of the round, though, will pair Weston McKennie and Tim Weah's Juventus against Dutch side PSV, who sport four Americans on their roster, including Malik Tillman, Sergino Dest, Ricardo Pepi and Richard Ledezma.
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When the clash with PSV, though, some of the Dutch side's American stars could be sidelined. Dest is still in the midst of a months-long recovery from a torn ACL last spring, while Tillman went down with an injury just two weeks ago. Meanwhile, red-hot forward Pepi could also miss, with the striker recently suffering a knee injury in a thrilling victory over Liverpool on the final day of the opening phase.
Pulisic's Milan will also be without USMNT midfielder Yunus Musah in the match, after he was sent off in their 2-1 loss to Dinamo Zagreb midweek.
Reyna and Dortmund will begin their UCL knockout phase under the guidance of new manager Niko Kovac, with the ex-Bayern manager looking to lead the to glory, while the 22-year-old U.S. midfielder will look to break into his XI after a promising January showing across all competitions.
Other highlights of the full UCL draw include a scintillating match between Pep Guardiola's Manchester City and Kylian Mbappe's Real Madrid.
DID YOU KNOW?
On the final day of the opening phase, Milan's Pulisic became the first American to score four goals during a UCL campaign.
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR AMERICANS IN THE UCL
The next round of the UCL kicks off on Feb. 11, with all 12 matchups in leg one. Leg two will be on Feb. 18.
