UEFA Champions League Last 16 Line-Up Complete
Europe's Big Guns Eagerly Await Next Weeks Knockout Stages Draw
Dec 10, 2008
Group Winners
Roma, Panathanaikos, Barcelona, Liverpool, Man Utd, Bayern Munich, FC Porto, Juventus.
Group Runners-Up
Chelsea, Inter Milan, Sporting Lisbon, Atletico Madrid, Lyon, Arsenal, Real Madrid.
Top Leagues Heavily Represented
Europe's powerhouse leagues of England, Spain and Italy will, once again, be heavily represented at UEFA's Swiss headquarters in Nyon next Friday for the 2008-09 UEFA Champions League last sixteen draw.
The English Premiership, for the third year running, will have four representatives in the knockout stages as will Spain's Primera Liga while Italy's Serie A will have three sides in the draw.
Portugal, through FC Porto and Sporting Lisbon, Germany, France and Greece make up the nations represented at next weeks draw.
Platini's Vision for a Fairer Distribution of Champions League Money
It is this continued dominance by these leagues that is behind Uefa President Michel Platini's plans to make it tougher for the fourth placed side in these leagues to qualify for the group stages, thus allowing more champions from the smaller leagues a chance to shine on the big stage.
Teams such as CFR Cluj and Anorthosis Famagusta, from Romania and Cyprus respectively, showed this season that clubs from the lesser ranked leagues could compete well at this elite level of club football.
Draw Format
In the last sixteen, teams from the same country cannot be drawn together, nor can teams who were in the same group, meaning that many of the teams know they will be facing one of five possible opponents.
The group winners also have the advantage of having the second leg at home.
Premiership Sides Could Face Glamour Opposition
England's big four of Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal had mixed fortunes in the group stages with North-West rivals Utd and Liverpool both securing top spots in their respective groups while the London pair had to be content with a runners-up spot.
With Panathanaikos having surprising won Group B ahead of Jose Mourinho's Inter, there is the now the mouthwatering prospect of the 'Special One' reigniting his rivalries with his former Premiership foes Sir Alex Ferguson and Rafa Benitez.
Holders Manchester United can look forward to meeting one of Inter, Sporting Lisbon, Lyon, Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid, while their bitter rivals Liverpool can also draw the first four teams and Villareal.
Both teams would probably pick Sporting Lisbon if they had a free choice and be hoping to avoid Serie A leaders Inter and Real Madrid, now coached by former Seville and Tottenham boss Juande Ramos.
Last years runners-up Chelsea will face one of Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Panathanaikos, FC Porto or Juventus, and will surely be praying for a visit to Athens in February.
Tournament favourites Barcelona will be the team Chelsea, and fellow London side Arsenal , will be hoping to avoid.
The last sixteen first leg ties will take place on 24/25 February with the second legs taking place on March 10/11.
