Hmmm not sure Gianni and chums would agree there Mike but never mind. OK that’s it from me so heres a link to everything that has just transpired in case you need to go over it all.
But fear not because the draw fun is not over yet. Oh no. Please join me for the Europa League draw by clicking the link below.
On that subject, here’s an email from Mike MacKenzie from London, Canada
Hi Ed,
I knew I could count on FIFA to maintain traditions with PSG vs Chelsea. Not much ever changes with them ...
PSG’s marketeeers had a different take...
.@PSG_inside Vs @ChelseaFC : The New Classic... pic.twitter.com/GzF4svzVaU
— PSG Officiel (@PSG_inside) December 14, 2015
You can always rely on Chelsea’s Twitter feed for some #bantz and they haven’t let us down this time
See you again soon, @PSG_inside. #UCLDraw pic.twitter.com/sT3stLuI5u
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 14, 2015
Apologies for the music on that last video by the way. Not my choice. Anyway last time Arsenal had Wojciech Szczesny in goal and this time it should be Petr Cech, unless Arsène Wenger has a strange change of heart before kick off again of course. So that’s one positive....
Unfortunately then this happened...
Arsenal fans must be having flashbacks to 2011 right about now. Remember this?
Here’s all the ties again in case you missed any of them:
Ghent v Wolfsburg
Roma v Real Madrid
Paris Saint-Germain v Chelsea
Arsenal v Barcelona
Juventus v Bayern Munich
PSV Eindhoven v Atletico Madrid
Benfica v Zenit St Petersburg
Dynamo Kyiv v Manchester City
First legs will take place on 16-17 and 23-24 February. Return legs are on 8-9 and 15-16 March.
Updated
Otherwise some pretty interesting ties to look forward to there. Juventus v Bayern looks a decent match up and Roma v Real Madrid could also be lively. Ghent v Wolfsburg wasn’t the most inspiring first draw out of the hat but they’ll both take it.
That’s it. Gianni misses us all a happy Christmas and departs stage left. So a mixed draw for the English clubs all in all. City fans will be pleased with Dynamo Kyiv, Chelsea fans not so with PSG. Arsenal fans? They’re concentrating on the league after drawing Barcelona again.
Updated
Dynamo Kyiv v Manchester City
Benfica v Zenit St Petersburg
PSV Eindhoven v Atlético Madrid
Juventus v Bayern Munich
You do all that hard work...
Arsenal v Barcelona
So that’s three in a row for Chelsea v PSG . José will be pleased
Paris Saint-Germain v Chelsea
Roma v Real Madrid
Ghent v Wolfsburg
Ok the pleasantries are over. Here we go...
Don’t worry you’re not missing much. Our Gianni has just been introducing the evergreen Javier Zanetti, who still looks like he’s fresh out of school despite being 42 now. Yes 42! I know. He’s here because the final will be played at San Siro by the way
Updated
In case you’re wondering Barcelona are the favourites to retain the trophy they won last year with most bookies. 5/2 looks a decent price, although no one has ever won consecutive tournaments since the format changed to the Champions League in the early 1990s. If someone else floats your boat the Bayern are next at 11/4 and Real Madrid 5/1. City are the most fancied English club at 14/1
Gianni Infantino is in the house!
OK so we’re ready to roll in Nyon. Gianni is just reading out the rules and you get the sense he could do this all day given half a chance. We’re just being shown a video of some of the other contenders. You know Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and all that.
Updated
Manchester City: Group winners despite losing both games against last year’s beaten finalists Juventus, could this be the year that City finally make a real impact in the Champions League? After drawing Barcelona last year, they will at least avoid that fate in the last-16 but there are still plenty of potental banana skins in their path.
Who they could draw: Paris Saint-Germain, PSV Eindhoven, Benfica, Roma, Dynamo Kyiv or Ghent
Updated
Chelsea: When was the last time a team who were 16th in the Premier League made the last 16 in Europe’s biggest club competition? Probably never. But José Mourinho’s boys are in the hat. After winning their group, Chelsea should be handed an easier draw than their London rivals but you never know in this game do you? PSV Eindhoven or Ghent are the ones everyone wants, PSG the ones Chesea fans are probably expecting for the third year in a row, even if 2014 was in the quarter-finals.
Who they could draw: Paris Saint-Germain, PSV Eindhoven, Benfica, Juventus, Roma or Ghent
The format is pretty straight-forward really. No two teams who played against each other in the group stages can be drawn together and the same applies for two clubs form the same country. Got it? Good.
For those who didn’t want to boost our hits by clicking the guide below, here’s how that breaks down for the remaining English clubs.
Arsenal: As group runners up they could face a very tricky match indeed but then that’s nothing new for the Gunners. Wolfsburg or Zenit St Petersburg look like an easier path to the last eight than three dangerous Spanish sides but then that’s what they said about Monaco last year and remember what happened?
Who they could draw: Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Wolfsburg or Zenit St Petersburg
So you should all know the drill by now. The 16 qualifiers will be in two pots, one for group winners and one for runners up. Here’s a list of those to kick things off
Group winners: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Zenit St Petersburg, Wolfsburg, Atlético Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea.
Group runners-up: Paris Saint-Germain, PSV Eindhoven, Benfica, Juventus, Roma, Arsenal, Dynamo Kyiv, Ghent.
Updated
Preamble
Two draws in three days? That Gianni Infantino must be getting tired. but after the excitement of the Euro 2016 draw on Saurday, now it’s the turn of the remaining teams in the Champions League to learn their fate. But with a Fifa presidential campaign to run as well, at least this one shouldn’t take our Gianni too long. After all, he’s an old master at it these days having overseen more draws than most artists have had hot dinners. Am I mixing my metaphors? Well so be it.
Anyway on with the serious stuff. Here’s a handy guide to who Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City could be drawn against to kick things off, written by yours truly.
Ed will be here shortly. In the meantime, here are the 16 teams who will discover their fate today.
The #UCL round of 16 lineup is complete! pic.twitter.com/09gTdv1Pbo
— Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 9, 2015
