adminfirst time since his £80m move from United to Real in June 2009.
In fact, Barcelona versus AC Milan and Manchester United against Real Madrid were the pick of the ties in the Champions League last 16 draw yesterday, as the knock-out phase of this year’s competition took shape.
Celtic will play Italian side Juventus, while Arsenal take on last year’s beaten finalists Bayern Munich.
Borussia Dortmund have been drawn against Shakhtar Donetsk and Porto take on Malaga, while Galatasaray will play Schalke.
But the undoubted tie of the round sees nine-times winners Real take on United for the first time in nine years.
The sides last met in the 2002-03 semi-final with the Spaniards triumphing 6-5 on aggregate.
Real won the first leg of that tie 3-1 and went through after a virtuoso second-leg performance from the Brazilian Ronaldo, who scored a hat-trick and was applauded off the Old Trafford pitch, as United won 4-3.
United club secretary John Alexander said: “Out of several stand-out ties, I think this is the one. If history has anything in our favour our one (aggregate) victory against Real Madrid in this competition was in the season when we won the final at Wembley (in 1968).”
As group winners, United will again play the second leg of the tie at home.
Celtic and Arsenal, as group runners-up, will play their first legs at home.
Meanwhile, Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is optimistic his side will see off Arsenal.
“We enter this match as the slight favourites but we can make the mistake of underestimating them,” said the German.
“Arsenal have struggled at times in the league over the last few months, which a look upon the standings in the Premier League will tell you.
“We want to set the foundations with a good performance in London, that would make things easier for us in our home game.”
Perennial favourites Barcelona, champions in 2009 and 2011, are currently nine points clear in La Liga but received a hammer blow on Wednesday when it was revealed coach Tito Vilanova must undergo surgery after cancer returned to his salivary gland.
His assistant, Jordi Roura, has been placed in temporary charge.
Barcelona and Milan locked horns four times in last season’s competition, with Barca finishing above Massimiliano Allegri’s side in the group phase and then prevailing 3-1 on aggregate when they met again in the last eight.
United’s tie with Madrid will see Portugal skipper Ronaldo face his former club for the first time since leaving Old Trafford for the Spanish capital in 2009.
The sides last met in 2003, when a famous hat-trick in Manchester by Ronaldo — Cristiano Ronaldo’s Brazilian predecessor and namesake — gave Madrid a 6-5 aggregate quarter-final win.
Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has only lost two of his 14 previous encounters with Sir Alex Ferguson’s side, and United club secretary John Alexander admitted the club would have preferred a more gentle draw.
“Everyone wanted to keep this for later in the competition but, out of several stand-out ties, I think this is the one,” he told British television channel Sky Sports News.
“If history has anything in our favour, our one victory against Real Madrid in this competition was in the season when we won the final at Wembley (in 1968).”
Former Madrid player and club director Emilio Butragueno said: “I’m sure it’s going to be a special game for Ronaldo.
“He’s a great professional so I’m sure he’s going to do his best to help Real Madrid qualify for the next round, but going back there will be special for him.”
Arsenal were drawn against last season’s beaten finalists, Bayern Munich, who have constructed a nine-point lead in the Bundesliga after a storming start to the season.
“We know Arsenal well,” said Bayern chairman Rummenigge.
“That’s fortunate and we can be happy about the draw. The game won’t be a foregone conclusion and we should not under-estimate Arsenal.”
Meanwhile, Celtic’s reward for reaching the knockout phase for the first time since 2007-08 is a rendezvous with Italian champions Juventus.
“In terms of glamour, it is great,” Celtic coach Neil Lennon told Sky Sports News.
“In terms of qualification it is going to be very tough. But we will take it as it comes and our supporters will be looking forward to this match.”
Big-spending French club Paris Saint-Germain will take on Valencia, with German champions Borussia Dortmund slated to face their Ukrainian counterparts Shakhtar Donetsk.
In the remaining ties, competition debutants Malaga tackle Porto and Turkish outfit Galatasaray meet German side Schalke.
The first legs will be played on either February 12/13 or 19/20, with the return matches on March 5/6 or 12/13.
Champions League last 16 draw
Galatasaray (TUR) v Schalke 04 (GER)
Celtic (SCO) v Juventus (ITA)
Arsenal (ENG) v Bayern Munich (GER)
Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) v Borussia Dortmund (GER)
AC Milan (ITA) v Barcelona (ESP)
Real Madrid (ESP) v Manchester United (ENG)
Valencia (ESP) v Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
FC Porto (POR) v Malaga (ESP)
Europa League knock out stages draw
Match 1: BATE Borisov (BLR) v Fenerbahce (TUR)
Match 2: Inter Milan (ITA) v Cluj (ROM)
Match 3: Levante (ESP) v Olympiakos (GRE)
Match 4: Zenit Saint-Petersburg (RUS) v Liverpool (ENG)
Match 5: Dynamo Kiev (UKR) v Bordeaux (FRA)
Match 6: Bayer Leverkusen (GER) v Benfica (POR)
Match 7: Newcastle (ENG) v Metalist Kharkiv (UKR)
Match 8: Stuttgart (GER) v Genk (BEL)
Match 9: Atletico Madrid (ESP) v Rubin Kazan (RUS)
Match 10: Ajax (NED) v Steaua Bucarest (ROM)
Match 11: Basel (SUI) v Dnipropetrovsk (UKR)
Match 12: Anzhi Makhachkala (RUS) v Hanover (GER)
Match 13: Sparta Prague (CZE) v Chelsea (ENG)
Match 14: Borussia Moenchengladbach (GER) v Lazio (ITA)
Match 15: Tottenham (ENG) v Lyon (FRA)
Match 16: Naples (ITA) v Plzen (CZE)
The last 16 games will be played on February 14 and 21.
Quarter-final games (to be played on March 7 and 14):
Winner Match 16 v Winner Match 1
Winner Match 6 v Winner Match 5
Winner Match 12 v Winner Match 7
Winner Match 8 v Winner Match 14
Winner Match 15 v Winner Match 2
Winner Match 3 v Winner Match 9
Winner Match 11 v Winner Match 4
Winner Match 10 v Winner Match 13 —AFP.
Online Reporter