December 17 – In seasons gone by, a European tie against Manchester United might have been regarded as a daunting prospect but Paris St. Germain will be confident of going one step closer to their dream of winning the Champions League for the first time after being paired with Jose Mourinho’s misfiring side in the last 16 of the competition.
United’s 3-1 defeat at Liverpool on Sunday capped their worst start to a top-flight campaign for 28 years despite having a proven manager in charge who was supposed to bring about a change of fortunes.
Rarely has a team with so many eye-wateringly expensive players under-performed so alarmingly. The very suggestion that United need to strengthen is almost laughable when you consider how much money they have spent throughout the entire squad.
Yet Mourinho will be desperate to prove everyone wrong by upsetting free-scoring PSG in the standout tie of the draw. Despite dominating the French domestic game in recent years, Qatari-owned PSG have never progressed past the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Three-time defending champions Real Madrid, while not firing on all cylinders, should progress at the expense of Ajax. Likewise last season’s beaten finalists Liverpool who take on a Bayern Munich team that may have the pedigree but are significantly less dangerous than in recent campaigns.
Bayern have reached at least the semi-finals in seven of the past nine seasons and have bags of experience but they are an ageing side. Having said that they will be boosted by having had a winter break and the same can be said of the German team of the moment.
Borussia Dortmund, nine points clear and unbeaten at the top of the Bundesliga, are a young, dynamic side and will represent a formidable challenge for Tottenham Hotspur in what promises to be a thrilling couple of games in a repeat of last season’s group stage clash.
The first legs will take place on 12-13 and 19-20 February, with the return fixtures on 5-6 and 12-13 March. Group winners will be away from home in the first legs.
Full draw:
Schalke v Manchester City
Atletico Madrid v Juventus
Manchester United v Paris St-Germain
Tottenham v Borussia Dortmund
Lyon v Barcelona
Roma v Porto
Ajax v Real Madrid
Liverpool v Bayern Munich
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