Barcelona, Man City paired in Round of 16; Chelsea receive PSG test
Manchester City face an intimidating Champions League Round of 16 tie with four-times winners Barcelona.
Make sure to catch all the exciting Round of 16 action on the FOX family of networks and on FOX Sports Go starting in Februrary.
Chelsea will face Paris St Germain -- which means a reunion with David Luiz -- and Arsenal will take on Arsene Wenger's former club Monaco. Barcelona, who last won the competition in 2011, knocked Premier League champions City out at the same stage last year, and boast the competition's all-time record goalscorer in Lionel Messi.
Manuel Pellegrini's side, who needed a 2-0 win at Roma in their final Group E game to qualify in second place, will play host to Barcelona at Etihad Stadium on Feb. 24 before heading to the Nou Camp on March 18.
Txiki Begiristain, the Manchester City director of football who spent time at Barcelona both as a player and as director of football, said: "It's unbelievable. I think we don't need to come because every tie is the same! Now we have to deal again with Barcelona as last season."
He added: "We now have plenty of confidence because of the way we got into the next round, beating Bayern Munich and then beating Roma away. We can arrive in a good moment for these games. We are more solid and stronger than last season. I feel so emotional. There are difficult things as well but I will take time to visit family and friends. I have a lot of friends there."
Chelsea, the 2012 winners, have been drawn against French champions PSG, who they overcame at the quarterfinal stage in last year's tournament but who suffered just one defeat during an impressive group stage campaign this time around.
Chelsea secretary David Barnard said: "PSG are known to us as we played them at the quarter-finals last year and they have David Luiz, who played for us in the final in 2012. I know Jose (Mourinho) said before the draw he'd like to see PSG for the supporters because of the travel arrangements and the logistics and he was right, because we got them.
"I think both teams have totally different teams to last season. Each match that comes along, it's a totally different scenario. It's a one-off situation. It's a knockout competition. I think we have an advantage by being away first because at least we know what to do for the second leg."
The draw has been kindest to Arsenal, who will take on Wenger's former club Monaco.
The French club have former Premier League champions Ricardo Carvalho and Dimitar Berbatov on their books and finished top of a group that included Bayer Leverkusen, Zenit St. Petersburg and Benfica - despite scoring just four goals.
Gunners secretary David Miles said: "We are delighted to be here because when you think it's 17 consecutive years in the Champions League and 12 consecutive years getting through the group stage, it's a fantastic achievement for Arsene Wenger and his side."
He added: "We've met some of the biggest teams in Europe over the last five years but we're certainly not taking anything for granted because Monaco have earned the right to be here and so have we. I'm sure Arsene will be delighted to be going back to one of his former teams."
Reigning champions Real Madrid have been drawn against one of four German teams in the last 16, Schalke. Bayer Leverkusen take on Atletico Madrid, and Borussia Dortmund have drawn Italian champions Juventus.
Bayern Munich, the 2013 champions, face a trip to Ukraine to face Shakhtar Donetsk. Basel, who knocked Liverpool out of the competition last week, will take on Porto, whose only defeat in any competition this season has come in the Portuguese Cup.
UEFA Champions League Round of 16:
Paris St-Germain vs. Chelsea
Manchester City vs. Barcelona
Bayer Leverkusen vs. Atletico Madrid
Juventus vs. Borussia Dortmund
Schalke vs. Real Madrid
Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Bayern Munich
Basel vs. FC Porto
Arsenal vs. Monaco
