Last year’s finalists Juventus were also handed a tough tie against German champions Bayern Munich.
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Arsenal face the formidable challenge of holders Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League.
“We are certain to see a sporting spectacular”, said Barca director Albert Soler. “It should be two fantastic games and we’re very much looking forward to it”. Here we will be coming up against a fine team who have already won the Champions League.
“This is the draw we wanted”, they said.
“It’s a knockout game and it depends on the form of those teams over the two legs so I don’t think you can take league form into account”.
“This is the third year we play against Chelsea so it has become some kind of a “clasico” for us”, PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi said.
Instant reaction to the draw wasn’t great, with many greeting the tie with a sense of repetition and boredom. “Although we beat them the last time, these are still two strong, ambitious clubs”, Blanc said on Tuesday. “Last year, I would have taken it all day long because Chelsea were playing wonderfully well but this year I didn’t want that at all”, he continued. If we see ourselves as favourites, things won’t go well for us.
“We know what can happen if you have ten poor minutes on a European night”.
Manchester City, who drew Dynamo Kiev, will be pleased to have avoided the French giants, who did look the most risky of the sides to have qualified as group runners-up. “We’re confident of making it back here for the quarter-final draw, but at the same time we’ll be giving Roma the utmost respect that they deserve, of course”. “They have got a big, big problem now”. “We’re all hoping we’ll be celebrating qualification at the end of the second leg”.
Also, it was PSV Eindhoven against Atletico Madrid; Dynamo Kiev versus Manchester City; and Benfica against Zenit St. Petersburg.
Struggling Manchester United are due to play Danish champions FC Midtjylland in the same competition, while Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp faces a return to Germany when the Reds play Augsburg.
Barcelona travel to Emirates Stadium for the first leg on 23 February with the second leg at the Nou Camp on 16 March.
Rivalling Barcelona for the status of Europe’s most impressive team this season is PSG, now top of Ligue 1 by a clear 17 points after hammering Lyon 5-1 at the weekend.
“Both are great clubs and they have great ambitions”.
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Bayern overcame Juventus 2-0 away and home in the 2012/13 quarterfinals en route to lifting the trophy.
