adminNYON. — English soccer champions Manchester City face an intimidating Champions League last 16 tie with four-times winners Barcelona. The Catalan side eliminated Manuel Pellegrini’s team at this stage last season, winning 4-1 on aggregate. Chelsea will face Paris St Germain — which means a reunion with David Luiz — and Arsenal will take on Arsene Wenger’s former club Monaco.
Barcelona, who last won the competition in 2011, knocked English Premier League champions City out at the same stage last year, and boast the competition’s all-time record goalscorer in Lionel Messi.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side, who needed a 2-0 win at Roma in their final Group E game to qualify in second place, will play host to Barcelona at Etihad Stadium on either February 17-18 or February 24-25 before heading to the Nou Camp on either March 10-11 or March 17-18.
Txiki Begiristain, the Manchester City director of football who spent time at Barcelona both as a player and as director of football, said: “It’s unbelievable. I think we don’t need to come because every tie is the same! Now we have to deal again with Barcelona as last season.
“We now have plenty of confidence because of the way we got into the next round, beating Bayern Munich and then beating Roma away. We can arrive in a good moment for these games. We are more solid and stronger than last season.
“I feel so emotional. There are difficult things as well but I will take time to visit family and friends. I have a lot of friends there.”
Chelsea, the 2012 winners, have been drawn against French champions PSG, who they overcame at the quarter-final stage in last year’s tournament but who suffered just one defeat during an impressive group stage campaign this time around.
Chelsea secretary David Barnard said: “PSG are known to us as we played them at the quarter-finals last year and they have David Luiz, who played for us in the final in 2012.
“I know Jose (Mourinho) said before the draw he’d like to see PSG for the supporters because of the travel arrangements and the logistics and he was right, because we got them.
“I think both teams have totally different teams to last season. Each match that comes along, it’s a totally different scenario. It’s a one-off situation. It’s a knock-out competition. I think we have an advantage by being away first because at least we know what to do for the second leg.”
The draw has been kindest to Arsenal, who will take on Wenger’s former club Monaco.
The French club have former English Premier League champions Ricardo Carvalho and Dimitar Berbatov on their books and finished top of a group that included Bayer Leverkusen, Zenit St Petersburg and Benfica — despite scoring just four goals.
Gunners secretary David Miles said: “We are delighted to be here because when you think it’s 17 consecutive years in the Champions League and 12 consecutive years getting through the group stage, it’s a fantastic achievement for Arsene Wenger and his side.
“We’ve met some of the biggest teams in Europe over the last five years but we’re certainly not taking anything for granted because Monaco have earned the right to be here and so have we. I’m sure Arsene will be delighted to be going back to one of his former teams.”
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.”
Reigning champions Real Madrid have been drawn against one of four German teams in the last 16, Schalke. Bayer Leverkusen take on Atletico Madrid, and Borussia Dortmund have drawn Italian champions Juventus.
Bayern Munich, the 2013 champions, face a trip to Ukraine to face Shakhtar Donetsk. Basel, who knocked Liverpool out of the competition last week, will take on Porto, whose only defeat in any competition this season has come in the Portuguese Cup.
Champions League last 16 ties
Paris St-Germain v Chelsea
Manchester City v Barcelona
Bayer Leverkusen v Atletico Madrid
Juventus v Borussia Dortmund
Schalke v Real Madrid
Shakhtar Donetsk v Bayern Munich
Arsenal v Monaco
Basel v FC Porto. — Sky Sports.
Online Reporter