Tuesday 16 December 2014

MAN CITY DRAWN AGAINST BARCELONA

Manchester City will face Lionel Messi and co. again in the last-16

Manchester City's tough luck in the Champions League draw continued with a second successive last-16 tie against Spanish giants Barcelona.


The three English teams in the knockout stages learned their fate at Monday morning's draw in Nyon, Switzerland.
Chelsea were paired with French champions Paris St Germain in the first tie drawn, immediately followed by City against Barca - who knocked them out 4-1 on aggregate at this stage last season.
Arsenal will be happiest after being drawn against Arsene Wenger's former club Monaco, the exact opponent their manager said in advance that he wanted.
Asked beforehand about the prospect of facing Monaco, whom he managed between 1987 and 1994 and who lie sixth in Ligue 1, Wenger said: "I'm not against it at all.
"It would be a visit to my first home. Of course I would love to go there."
Chelsea's opponents PSG lie second in Ligue 1 this season, a point behind Marseille after both teams suffered defeats on Sunday, and were runners-up to Barca in Group F with their only defeat coming at the Nou Camp. Chelsea faced PSG in last season's quarter-finals, winning the tie on away goals.
City scraped through a difficult Group E after winning a decisive final game against Roma while Arsenal were second to Borussia Dortmund in Group D.
Holders Real Madrid face Schalke in the last 16, with city rivals and beaten finalists Atletico drawn against Bayer Leverkusen.
The third Bundesliga side in the draw, Dortmund, take on Juventus in a repeat of the 1996 final while Basle face Porto.
Group winners will be away in the first legs, to be played on February 17, 18, 24 or 25, with the second legs on March 10, 11, 17 or 18.
Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey was quick to respond to the draw, writing on Twitter: "Monaco! I'm sure our fans will enjoy the away trip... great place, great draw!"
Club secretary David Miles added on Sky Sports News HQ: "We've picked some of the biggest teams in Europe over the last five years but we're certainly not taking anything for granted, Monaco have earned the right to be here.
"It's the first time we've played Monaco in a competitive match so I'm sure Arsene will be delighted at going back to one of his former teams."
The other two ties also bring connections and City's director of football Txiki Begiristain, a former Barca player and director, said: "I will take the time to visit family, friends, I have a lot of friends there at the club."
He labelled the draw itself "unbelievable", adding: "Every tie's the same, we had Bayern Munich and CSKA Moscow in the group phase, and now we have to deal again with Barcelona.
"Beating Bayern Munich and then beating Roma away, we are confident and will arrive in a good moment to these games."
Chelsea secretary David Barnard said: "Obviously PSG are known to us because we played them in the quarter-finals last year and they've got the added ingredient of David Luiz playing for them.
"Jose said before the draw that he'd have liked to see PSG for our supporters, for the travel and the logistics, and he was right."
Luiz transferred between the two teams after the World Cup and PSG sporting director Olivier Letang said: "I think David will enjoy playing again in Stamford Bridge and the most important thing is that PSG wins. We hope we will have revenge on Chelsea after last season."
Barcelona's sporting vice-president Jordi Mestre said of the City tie: "It is attractive, it is a good match to see.
"Manchester City are a very tough team, it will be a very hard match."
Looking to the other ties, Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos tweeted a picture of himself and Germany team-mates Benedikt Howedes - the Schalke defender - and Mario Gotze with the World Cup trophy.
Underneath, he wrote: "What a draw for the @ChampionsLeague! Looking forward to meet @BeneHoewedes and @s04 with @realmadrid."
Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummennigge told the club's official website: "FC Shakhtar Donetsk is a good draw, we are certainly favourite, but we will go with great respect in these two games.
"Shakhtar completed very good games in the group stage. This is definitely a new experience for us."
Juventus director Pavel Nedved told uefa.com: "It could have been worse because there was still Bayern and Madrid when Borussia's name came out.
"It will be a very even tie. There are a few teams who are almost impossible to compete with, so we are happy to have a side against whom we have a chance."

UEFA Champions League Last-16 Draw

February 17 and March 11:
Paris St Germain v Chelsea
Shakhtar Donetsk v Bayern Munich
February 18 and March 10:
Schalke v Real Madrid
Basle v Porto
February 24 and March 18:
Manchester City v Barcelona
Juventus v Borussia Dortmund
February 25 and March 17:
Bayer Leverkusen v Atletico Madrid
Arsenal v Monaco

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