Champions League Last 16 Analysis

Article by Robert Wake

On Monday morning the four remaining English representatives in this season’s UEFA Champions League discovered their fate in the Swiss outpost of Nyon.  Manchester United and Chelsea will be relatively satisfied with the hand they have been dealt. Though first leg trips to Athens and Istanbul respectively will be awkward assignments, both will be expected to progress to the quarter finals. 

Chelsea’s clash with Galatasaray will see Didier Drogba, the man whose decisive penalty finally landed the Holy Grail for Roman Abramovich, return to Stamford Bridge for an emotional reunion on March 18. 

The two remaining English Clubs, paying the full penalty for finishing as group runners-up, face mouth-watering ties against two of Europe’s giants. That said, it is fair to opine that neither holders Bayern Munich nor Barcelona will have been over enamoured with drawing Arsenal and Manchester City respectively. 

Despite the Drogba factor, I am taking Chelsea to be too good for Galatasaray, and United to record a comfortable aggregate win over Olympiakos. I will go out on a limb here, and take City to overcome Barcelona in what could be two classic encounters. Arsenal are certainly not without a chance against Bayern, but as with all these ties, form and fitness of key players could prove decisive, but all things being equal I have to take the Germans to prevail.

Of the four remaining fixtures, Paris St Germain should be too strong for a Bayer Leverkusen side who succumbed tamely to Manchester United in the group stages. Similarly, Real Madrid should be far too good for Schalke, particularly if the German outfit cash in on their prize asset, Julian Draxler during the January window. 

Borussia Dortmund will face a potentially freezing night in St Petersburg in late February. The Russians will still be in their winter break, and I expect Dortmund to expose their lack of match practise. 

Finally, seasoned campaigners AC Milan face this year’s dark horse Atletico Madrid.  I really like the look of the Spaniards, and they are my outside tip for the tournament this year. They remind me very much of Dortmund last season and no one will want to face them in the quarter-finals, which I expect them to reach at the expense of the Rossoneri.

My Last eight below:

Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Paris St Germain and Atletico Madrid.

The Full Draw

Manchester City v Barcelona                                      18 February and 12 March

Bayer Leverkusen v Paris St Germain                      18 February and 12 March

Arsenal v Bayern Munich                                              19 February and 11 March

AC Milan v Atletico Madrid                                          19 February and 11 March

Olympiakos v Manchester United                            25 February and 19 March

Zenit St Petersburg v Borussia Dortmund              25 February and 19 March

Galatasaray v Chelsea                                                    26 February and 18 March

Schalke 04 v Real Madrid                                              26 February and 18 March

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