The most ‘even’ Champions League draw will be taking place on the 16th of December.
Italy is the nation with most sides in the round of 16. Germany, Spain, Russia, England and France each are represented by two sides in the competition. Cyprus, Switzerland and Portugal are each represented by one team. All these teams have made their passages through tough groups with perhaps the exception of Barcelona and AC Milan. These two sides were drawn with Plzen and Bate, two relative novices at this level, in the group stage.
Nonetheless, Barca and Milan must be given credit for qualifying as the novices have risen this season. Whereas experienced competitors such as Manchester United, Villarreal, Porto and Valencia have gone out, the likes of Apoel Nicosia and FC Basel have progressed into the knockout stages.
Thus, when the draw will be made, some surprising names will come out of both pots. In the first pot, the usual suspects, Barca, Real Madrid, FC Bayern, Inter Milan, Chelsea and Arsenal will be available. Joining them will be Benfica, the surprise winners of a group which included United, Basel and Otelui and Apoel, the first ever team from Cyprus in the last 16 of the Champions League.
In the second pot, there are many surprising names. Napoli, in their first ever campaign, left Premier League leaders Manchester City in their wake to progress from Group A behind Bayern. CSKA Moscow grabbed second place in Group B on the final day. Basel will be the first ever Swiss side in the Round of 16 from their nation. Lyon and AC Milan are two usual suspects who will be in this pot. Russians Zenit, UEFA Cup winners in 2008, Marseille and Bayer Leverkusen complete the pot.
A team from the first pot will draw a team in the second pot. The teams that draw each other cannot be from the same nation which means for example Bayern and Leverkusen cannot draw each other. Also, teams which had been placed in the same group cannot draw each other either. This means for example that Arsenal cannot draw Marseille.
Looking ahead, a team that Bayern might draw is AC Milan. Considering Bayern’s problems with Milan teams over the past few seasons, Bayern would want to avoid them. This stat says it all: in the last four editions in which Bayern has participated in the Champions League, a team from Milan has knocked them out thrice.
Arsenal will be avoiding Barcelona, their conquerors in the past two seasons while Lyon and Real Madrid won’t be meeting each other either. A team that very few teams will want to draw from the second pot is Napoli. Inter and Bayern will be avoiding them. Thus, one of Barca, Real, Chelsea, Arsenal, Benfica or Apoel will meet the Italians.
Due to Apoel’s inexperience, a number of teams from Pot B might want to meet the challenge the Cypriots present. Basel for example might want to face Apoel than Real or Barca. Basel met Bayern in last season’s Champions League and this could happen again. Their coach used to be a youth coach at Bayern while their former coach Thorsten Fink used to star for Bayern.
CSKA and Zenit are two teams that teams from Pot A might not want to draw due to the trips they have to undertake to Russia. However, these two teams might be favourable due to the long winter break of the Russian league. Marseille, due to their slightly physical approach to the game, might be an unfavourable draw.
Due to the unpredictable nature of this season’s Champions League, teams from both pots will be uneasy no matter who they draw. The draw while renewing some old battles promises to create many new rivalries.
And so, now, all we can do is look forward to Friday and simply wait.
Nonetheless, Barca and Milan must be given credit for qualifying as the novices have risen this season. Whereas experienced competitors such as Manchester United, Villarreal, Porto and Valencia have gone out, the likes of Apoel Nicosia and FC Basel have progressed into the knockout stages.
Thus, when the draw will be made, some surprising names will come out of both pots. In the first pot, the usual suspects, Barca, Real Madrid, FC Bayern, Inter Milan, Chelsea and Arsenal will be available. Joining them will be Benfica, the surprise winners of a group which included United, Basel and Otelui and Apoel, the first ever team from Cyprus in the last 16 of the Champions League.
In the second pot, there are many surprising names. Napoli, in their first ever campaign, left Premier League leaders Manchester City in their wake to progress from Group A behind Bayern. CSKA Moscow grabbed second place in Group B on the final day. Basel will be the first ever Swiss side in the Round of 16 from their nation. Lyon and AC Milan are two usual suspects who will be in this pot. Russians Zenit, UEFA Cup winners in 2008, Marseille and Bayer Leverkusen complete the pot.
A team from the first pot will draw a team in the second pot. The teams that draw each other cannot be from the same nation which means for example Bayern and Leverkusen cannot draw each other. Also, teams which had been placed in the same group cannot draw each other either. This means for example that Arsenal cannot draw Marseille.
Looking ahead, a team that Bayern might draw is AC Milan. Considering Bayern’s problems with Milan teams over the past few seasons, Bayern would want to avoid them. This stat says it all: in the last four editions in which Bayern has participated in the Champions League, a team from Milan has knocked them out thrice.
Arsenal will be avoiding Barcelona, their conquerors in the past two seasons while Lyon and Real Madrid won’t be meeting each other either. A team that very few teams will want to draw from the second pot is Napoli. Inter and Bayern will be avoiding them. Thus, one of Barca, Real, Chelsea, Arsenal, Benfica or Apoel will meet the Italians.
Due to Apoel’s inexperience, a number of teams from Pot B might want to meet the challenge the Cypriots present. Basel for example might want to face Apoel than Real or Barca. Basel met Bayern in last season’s Champions League and this could happen again. Their coach used to be a youth coach at Bayern while their former coach Thorsten Fink used to star for Bayern.
CSKA and Zenit are two teams that teams from Pot A might not want to draw due to the trips they have to undertake to Russia. However, these two teams might be favourable due to the long winter break of the Russian league. Marseille, due to their slightly physical approach to the game, might be an unfavourable draw.
Due to the unpredictable nature of this season’s Champions League, teams from both pots will be uneasy no matter who they draw. The draw while renewing some old battles promises to create many new rivalries.
And so, now, all we can do is look forward to Friday and simply wait.
