December 15 – Both of last season’s Spanish Champions League finalists have been drawn against German opposition in the first knockout stage of the competition in February.
Real Madrid should have few problems overcoming Schalke, who only just squeezed into the last 16, while Atletico Madrid should likewise progress at the expense of Bayer Leverkusen.
There are a couple of notable mouth-watering ties not least another clash between Manchester City, who needed a final-day win over Roma to advance from the group stage, and four-time champions Barcelona — for the second straight year.
Hotly fancied Chelsea will play Paris St-Germain, arguably the strongest of the second-placed group teams. Revenge will be in the air in Paris since it was Demba Ba’s 87th-minute goal that saw Chelsea knock out PSG in last season’s dramatic quarter-final.
Arsenal gained the luck of the draw by taking on perhaps the weakest of the group winners, Monaco, a tie that will take Arsene Wenger back to the club he managed from 1987 to 1994.
Juventus play Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich should be too strong for Shakhtar Donetsk while Swiss champions Basel face Porto.