The draw for the round of 16 is out & Arsenal have been paired with Porto. This is a rather easy fixture considering we could have faced the might of Inter or Milan! 11Gunners delves into how the entire set-up looks like..
The draw has opened up some real treats for fans, purists & neutrals alike. The best of the lot is unarguably the game between AC Milan vs Manchester United. This marks the return of the 'prodigal son' in the form of David Beckham, who will join his alma mater, years after taking the boot from Sir Alex! Another fiesta will be the game between Inter & Chelsea. Both sitting top of the pile in their domestic leagues, and both tactically very strong, will make for a fascinating match up. I didn't rate this as the 'most anticipated' one simply because the tie could get ugly, and not just football wise. And that because of the self-proclaimed 'Special One'. You guessed it, Jose Mourinho returns to Stamford Bridge after being ousted from the post of Chelsea manager few seasons back. Him & Carlo Ancelotti are no friends, which makes for a grand sub plot ahead of that one.
Holders Barcelona have been given a walk-over of sorts as they face VfB Stuttgart (Hleb returns to Camp Nou!), meanwhile Real Madrid face Lyon (Karim Benzema makes a return in this one!). Other damn squibs include: Bayern Munich vs Fiorentina (Luca Toni this time!), CSKA Moscow vs Sevilla and Olympiacos vs Bordeaux.
Note:
The draw was arranged so that eight group winners would be paired with eight group runners-up, although no team from the same group or country could meet.The first legs will be played on 16/17 and 23/24 February 2010, with the second legs on 9/10 and 16/17 March. The group winners will play the second leg at home.
The draw was arranged so that eight group winners would be paired with eight group runners-up, although no team from the same group or country could meet.
The first legs will be played on 16/17 and 23/24 February 2010, with the second legs on 9/10 and 16/17 March. The group winners will play the second leg at home.
This is what Wenger felt on Arsenal's draw:
"It is a 50/50 game. Porto are always in there and always difficult to play against. The little advantage is that we have the second game at home but it's important that we negotiate well our first game and try to score away from home. It's a difficult draw."
Difficult or otherwise, Santiago Bernabeu, here we come. Go Gunners..