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Sam Hill

Every possible Tottenham opponent in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 draw

Tottenham qualified for the UEFA Champions League round of 16 as Group D winners but could still face a very difficult draw in the next stage.

Antonio Conte watched Spurs come from behind to seal a dramatic 2-1 win against Marseille as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg scored the winner with the last kick of the game. Tottenham fell behind on the stroke of half-time as Chancel Mbemba headed home from a corner after Hugo Lloris had kept the Lilywhites in the game during a poor first half performance.

On-loan defender Clement Lenglet equalised with a brilliant header of his own from an excellent free-kick delivery by Ivan Perisic. Son Heung-min's injury came as a huge blow to Spurs chances of making it out of the group but his strike partner Harry Kane was able to set Hojbjerg through on goal in the final minute with the Danish midfielder firing home past Pau Lopez to seal Tottenham's place in the round of 16 as group winners.

READ MORE: Tottenham's January transfer window plans take shape as Antonio Conte suffers with Spurs fans

Despite qualifying as Group D winners, Tottenham can still face some of the top sides across Europe due to results elsewhere. The only English side not to top their respective Champions League group was Liverpool as Jurgen Klopp's side finished level on points with Napoli, but behind due to the head-to-head ruling.

With that in mind, football.london takes a look at potential teams Spurs can face in the next round ahead of the Champions League round of 16 draw.

Club Brugge

Club Brugge finished second in Group B behind Porto after drawing on to Bayer Leverkusen on the final matchday. The Belgian outfit only lost once in their six matches but are by far the weakest opposition Spurs could face in the round of 16.

Noa Lang and Hans Vanaken represent the main threats for Brugge but Tottenham's quality across the pitch should prove to be too much over two legs for the Belgian side. Spurs have struggled against Belgian opposition in the past, most notably when they lost 1-0 to Royal Antwerp back in 2020 under Jose Mourinho.

Brugge currently sit third in the Belgium top-flight but still have the players to cause problems for Antonio Conte's side if they were to underestimate the Belgian outfit.

RB Leipzig

RB Leipzig had a relatively strong group stage, losing just two games against Real Madrid who topped the group by a single point. The Bundesliga outfit represent more of a challenge than Club Brugge but are still a favourable draw considering their form in the German top-flight.

Leipzig currently sit sixth in the Bundesliga but have serious threats in attack with Christopher Nkunku, Timo Werner and Andre Silva. The French forward has already scored 14 goals so far this season and looks set for a move to Chelsea next summer, but Spurs will be hoping they can keep him quiet should they draw the German outfit in the round of 16.

Paris Saint-Germain

Paris Saint-Germain are by far the worst team Spurs could draw in the next round. The front three of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar have been on fire for the Ligue 1 champions, scoring a combined 30 goals already this season.

PSG finished second in their group, behind Benfica, after having a near identical record but the Portuguese outfit finished top of the group on goals scored away from home after winning 6-1 against Maccabi Haifa on the final matchday. This now leaves the possibility of Conte's team facing the Ligue 1 outfit in the round of 16.

Borussia Dortmund

Dortmund also represent a difficult test for Spurs if they were to draw each other in the round of 16, with Jude Bellingham being the main threat for the German outfit. Bellingham continues to impress this season having registered 11 goal contributions in 19 appearances so far in the 2022/23 campaign.

Marco Reus, Julian Brandt and Karim Adeyemi all offer serious threats in attack whilst Dortmund still have a brilliant defence that includes Niklas Sule, Mats Hummels and Nico Schlotterbeck. The Bundesliga outfit were able to hold Manchester City to a 0-0 draw in Germany, highlighting their ability to perform against top opposition.

AC Milan

The Serie A champions may have suffered back-to-back defeats to Chelsea in the Champions League group stage but they have some serious quality in their team. Rafael Leao is the main attacking threat, but Olivier Giroud has proven he is still a consistent goal scorer since moving to Italy and can cause any defence problems.

Fikayo Tomori is a top defender alongside Theo Hernandez who is influential at both ends of the pitch for AC Milan. A trip to San Siro is always tricky for any side and Spurs will be hoping to avoid a tie that sees them face Stefano Pioli's side.

Inter

Another potential trip to San Siro could await Spurs in the round of 16 after Inter also finished second in their respective Champions League group. Lautaro Martinez continues to shine for Inter whilst Edin Dzeko and Romelu Lukaku could also cause serious problems for the Lilywhites if they were to draw the Italian side in the next round.

A strong midfield and defensive lineup make Inter one of the most well-rounded and toughest teams to face, but Conte may be the one man who knows how to break down his former side.

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