Champions League Knockout Stage Draw Analysis

British fans get to see Zlatan close up once again this season

The draw for the Champions League knockout stage has thrown up the prospect of some scintillating matches in the last 16.

Manchester City got into the knockout stages courtesy of a good victory over Roma in the last round of group games. However, for the second successive year, Manuel Pelligrini's side have drawn the mighty Barcelona in the round of 16. The fact City finished second in the group meant they were likely to face a top side, but Barcelona was one of the worst draws they could have got. Last year, City lost 4-1 on aggregate to the Catalans at the same stage of the competition. It will be a huge test for City yet again, but they showed in beating Bayern Munich and Roma to make the knockout stages that they can compete with the best in Europe. While Barcelona boast the attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez, they are not at their best in Spain and City have the potential to cause them problems. If the Citizens' current injury problems clear up before the first leg at the Etihad on February 24 then they could cause an upset.

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Chelsea face Paris Saint-Germain for a second consecutive year and fans will be hoping it isn't as tight an encounter as last season's was. Back in April, a late scrambled Demba Ba goal was enough for Jose Mourinho's men to make the quarter-finals after they clawed back a 3-1 advantage the French side had built up in the first leg. It was a dramatic end to that tie, but this year's Chelsea are a far better side than the one Mourinho had last season. The additions of Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa have transformed the Blues and the Portuguese boss will be confident they can get past their big-spending French counterparts. The fact that Chelsea sold Brazilian defender David Luiz for 40 million during the summer to PSG adds a little bit of extra spice to the game. Chelsea will travel to Paris for the first leg, hoping to do enough so they don't have to rely on such as escape job in the second leg at Stamford Bridge.

Arsenal managed to get a favourable draw and will face Monaco in the knockout stages. It will be a nostalgic meeting for Arsene Wenger, who made his name as a manager with Monaco from 1987 to 1994. After finishing second in their group, Arsenal fans will be thankful they avoided the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Barcelona, and will be confident the Gunners can get past the French side. Monaco somehow won their group stage despite scoring only four goals through the entire stage and were possibly the weakest of all the group winners in the pot. Arsenal have a good Champions League pedigree and know how to get results, so it should be a happy reunion with Wenger as his current side have more than enough to progress.

The five-time Champions League winners Bayern Munich will take on Shakhtar Donetsk. Munich were drawn in one of the toughest groups, with Manchester City, Roma and CSKA Moscow, and their only defeat came at City, where they were down to 10 men for a long period. They have been handed a kind draw against Shakhtar, with the biggest negative being a cold trip to Ukraine in early Spring which awaits them. Pep Guardiola has a fantastically talented squad at his disposal at Munich and they rank as one of the favourites to win the Champions League. Shakhtar sit second in the Ukrainian league and are doing well, considering they play their games in Lviv having been forced away from their home due to the ongoing conflict in the east of the country. However, Munich will be a tough task for them so expect the Germans to progress with little difficulty.

Schalke drew Real Madrid and it will bring back haunting memories for fans of the German club. Last year, in the same stage of the competition, Madrid thrashed them 9-2 on aggregate - and given the Spanish giant's current form it won't be any easier for Schalke this time around. Real came through the group stage with a 100% record and, at the time of writing, have won 20 matches in succession. They are scoring goals for fun, with 55 in 15 La Liga games, and Cristiano Ronaldo has got 32 goals in 23 matches this season. The 10-time champions of Europe, and defending Champions League holders, are going to be a titanic proposition for a Schalke side sitting sixth in the Bundesliga.

Juventus will take on Borussia Dortmund in the last 16, in what is a repeat of the 1997 Champions League final. That game in Munich saw Dortmund win 3-1 thanks to two Karl-Heinz Reidle goals and one from Lars Ricken. Dortmund won Group D despite struggling in the Bundesliga, where they sit third bottom with nine defeats in their opening 15 games. Juventus are going well domestically and are top of Serie A, so are going to be a big challenge for Dortmund. However, the Champions League seems to be giving some respite to the Dortmund fans away from their domestic struggles. How this clash pans out might depend on how Jurgen Klopp's side are doing come February.

Atletico Madrid won Group A and they will face Bayer Leverkusen in the knockout stage. Atletico were the surprise package of last season as they won La Liga and also made it to the Champions League final, where they were beaten by city rivals Real. Diego Simeone saw a host of his stars leave over the summer, but he was replaced quality with quality and they are now clicking into an eminent unit. Leverkusen sit third in the Bundesliga and are having a good season, despite struggling to keep pace with the runaway leaders Bayern Munich. A draw against Benfica in the final round of group games meant they were pipped to top spot by Monaco, and they will go into the game with Atletico as underdogs.

Basel and Porto should both be happy with being drawn against each other, as these are the two outsiders in the competition and it guarantees one of them a prestigious place in the quarter-finals. Basel, under their Portuguese coach Paolo Sousa, got into the knockout stages thanks to a home win over Liverpool and final-day draw at Anfield. Porto finished top of Group H and were unbeaten throughout the group stage. They are a famous European side and do have some quality talent within their ranks. Out of all the games, this one looks to hardest to call on paper as the two teams seem very equally matched.