Paris: Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc hopes a “complicated” schedule won’t hinder them from defeating Chelsea en route to the Champions League last-eight stage.
Advertisement
Arsenal Secretary David Miles commented on the situation at a press conference.
The only guarantee we have is that we’ll have two great teams playing two great games. Holders Sevilla, who also exited the Champions League last week, play Norwegians Molde.
Luiz also said that injuries had played a big factor in their campaign a year ago and was a major reason for their exit against Barcelona in the quarter finals. Or that, given the chance, Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta might just have dismantled Arsenal anyway, as they did Sir Alex Ferguson’s last great Manchester United team at Wembley that season.
“I was told by my family that if I came back with Barcelona not to bother to go home”.
And Thiago Silva feels that could provide PSG with the edge when the sides meet for the third season in a row in February and March.
Chelsea won their quarter-final tie in 2014 but lost in the round of 16 last season, despite Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s controversial red card leaving PSG to play with 10 men for much of the second leg at Stamford Bridge, which they won courtesy of former Chelsea defender David Luiz’s header.
Bayern ambassador Franz Beckenbauer, speaking at the draw, said his club’s clash with Juventus would be “a mouthwatering tie”. We need to analyse it. The advantage is we know them well, but they know us too.
PSV Eindhoven are to take on Atletico Madrid and Benfica are to face Zenit St Petersburg.
Manchester City topped their group for the first time ever thanks to a sensational comeback against Borussia Monchengladbach and were paired with Dynamo Kiev during Monday’s draw in Nyon. “If we see ourselves as favorites, things won’t go well for us”, Real Madrid soccer director Emilio Butragueno said.
Former Barcelona director of football Txiki Begiristain admits he was thankful his current employers Manchester City were guaranteed to miss out on a reunion with the Catalans as both progressed as group winners. But we are improving and gaining experience in the competition.
The first-leg games will be played on February 16 and 17, with return legs taking place on February 23 and 24.
Advertisement
Striker Olivier Giroud has been a key player in Arsenal’s rise in recent weeks with a hat-trick in the final Champions League group match. “We are a small club with a small budget and we know we can’t outspend them so we have to out-think them”.
