Surprises in the round of 16!

The Club World Cup group stage has come to an end, and it’s safe to say it’s been full of surprises. Will we see more of the same for the round of 16?

Group A and B

The first big surprise came from group A. FC Porto, after a terrible run, only have two points to show for. In the end, it’s Palmeiras and Inter Miami who top the group.

In group B, a real bombshell was dropped. With PSG and Atletico in the mix, very few saw a chance for Botafogo and Seattle to make it through. And well, surprise, it’s Atlético who find themselves knocked out on goal difference.

The round of 16 fixtures will therefore be PSG – Inter Miami and Palmeiras – Botafogo. A 100% Brazilian duel on one hand, and on the other, the first clash between Messi and PSG since the Argentinian left the club on bad terms. Fireworks guaranteed!

Group C and D

A small surprise in group C, where Bayern, who had dominated up to that point, were stunned 1-0 by a resurgent Benfica following their draw with Boca. The Portuguese therefore take the lead of the group, with Boca eliminated and heading back home.

In group D, the surprise doesn’t come from the teams that qualified (Flamengo and Chelsea), but from the leaderboard itself, as it’s Flamengo who top the group thanks their victory against the Blues.

Flamengo will therefore face Bayern while Benfica will go up against Chelsea in the first European clash of this round of 16.

Group E and F

In group E, the suspense lasted until the very final moments. As a result of Monterrey's victory against Urawa and that of Inter over River Plate, the Argentinians, who had led the group until then, end up knocked out.

As for group F, Fluminense and Dortmund qualified quite conformably. The only surprise: it’s the Brazilians who finish on top.

Fluminense taking on Inter and Dortmund going up against Monterrey will make for superb duels between Europe and South America.

Group G and H

As expected, Juventus and Manchester City breezed through to the knockout stage in group G. Thanks to a crushing victory against Juventus, the SkyBlues finish top of the group.

A minor upset in Group H: Salzburg’s defeat against Real Madrid and Al Hilal’s victory over Pachuca mean the Saudis qualify at the expense of the Austrians.

In the end, we get a second all-European clash, as Real Madrid are set to face Juventus. Lastly, Al Hilal will face Man. City to complete the round of 16 lineup.

For this round of 16, our tournament is back for a new week. Don’t forget that the more players opt in, the bigger the prize pool becomes. And to top it off, Circus Sport has crafted best odds for you!