NYON, Switzerland (Sporting Alert) — The following are the pairings for the UEFA Champions last 16 knockout phase, following the drawing on Monday.
English Premier League champions Manchester City will face Spanish giants Barcelona for the second consecutive season after finishing second in their group.
Lionel Messi and Barcelona eliminated Man City in the last 16 last season after running away 4-1 winners on aggregate after the Catalans beat the Citizens 2-0 away in the first leg and 2-1 in the return leg.
It’s unbelievable,” Manchester City director of football Txiki Begiristain told Sky Sports News. “We didn’t have to come because every year it’s the same.”
He added: “Every tie in that draw is the same. It’s fantastic, so we’re looking forward to it.
“We have plenty of confidence with the way we qualified, beating Bayern Munich at home and Roma away.”
Jose Mourinho and Chelsea will play French champions Paris Saint-Germain in a repeat of one of last year’s quarter-finals, as former Blues defender David Luiz is set to face his ex-club again.
Chelsea were beaten 3-1 in the first leg in Paris, but overcame that deficit to win 2-0 at home and win the tie on the away goal rule.
The other English Premier League side in the draw was Arsenal, and they were picked to face Monaco in what looks like the easiest of the draws for the EPL outfits.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger will go up against his former club and he says it will be a dream to go against the club where he made his name.
It will be the first time Arsenal and Monaco will face off in a competitive match. The two clubs met at this year’s Emirates Cup in a preseason warmup tournament.
Elsewhere, Cristiano Ronaldo and defending champions Real Madrid will play against Schalke 04, while German champions Bayern Munich, who admitted to failing last season in this competition, have been drawn to face Shakhtar Donetsk — hoping for a better year in Europe.
Bayer Leverkusen and La Liga champions Atletico Madrid will match each other, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund have been paired together, while Basle, who knocked Liverpool out in the group stages will meet FC Porto.
The ties will be played in February and March.
Champions League Last 16 Draw
Paris Saint-Germain vs Chelsea
Manchester City vs Barcelona
Bayer Leverkusen vs Atletico Madrid
Juventus vs Borussia Dortmund
Schalke 04 vs Real Madrid
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Bayern Munich
Arsenal vs Monaco
Basle vs FC Porto
How They Will Play
First legs:
17 February: Paris St-Germain v Chelsea; Shakhtar Donetsk v Bayern Munich
18 February: Schalke v Real Madrid; Basel v Porto
24 February: Manchester City v Barcelona; Juventus v Borussia Dortmund
25 February: Bayer Leverkusen v Atletico Madrid; Arsenal v Monaco
Second legs:
10 March: Real Madrid v Schalke; Porto v Basel
11 March: Chelsea v Paris St-Germain; Bayern Munich v Shakhtar Donetsk
17 March: Atletico Madrid v Bayer Leverkusen; Monaco v Arsenal
18 March: Barcelona v Manchester City; Borussia Dortmund v Juventus
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