11 Things You Should Know About This Champions League Last 16

Bayern Munich take on Juventus and Arsenal face
Barcelona in the pick of the Champions League last
16 ties – but what are the biggest storylines to come
out of Monday's draw?Let's take a glance
1. Rafa's sketchy record against Roma
Not content with being the worst rookie Real Madrid
manager this century, now Rafa Benitez faces a Roma
side he knows particularly well… especially given how
much time he spent looking up at them in the Serie A
table. The Spaniard played Roma six times while in
charge of Napoli, winning as many times as he lost.

2. Danny, Hulk & AVB return to Portugal
Zenit's clash with Benfica provides something of a
homecoming for a host of the Russian club's
players… and it could be feisty affair given their
former allegiances. There's no love lost between
former Porto boss Andre Villas-Boas and his
favourite club's arch rivals, while Axel Witsel and Javi
Garcia were both marshalling Benfica's midfield not
so long ago.
3. Alexis to prove Barca wrong?
Only a team as well stocked in attacking talent as
Barcelona could have deemed Alexis Sanchez
expendable. The Chilean has been sublime for
Arsenal since leaving Camp Nou – and, crucially, has
stepped up in the biggest moments. The Gunners will
need that match-winning ability more than ever
before.
4. Bellerin to prove Barca wrong too?
Hector Bellerin will return to Barcelona looking to
make a big impression against his old club. The
Catalan outfit have long been linked with a move to
re-sign their one-time La Masia student, and with
Dani Alves due to turn 33 at the end of the season,
this could be the perfect time to shine.
5. Groundhog Day for Chelsea and PSG
Yet again Chelsea and PSG will make the short trip on
the Eurostar to face off in the French and English
capitals. Two financial giants, two star-studded teams
– but Jose Mourinho's job has never been tougher.
He couldn't find a way past the Parisiens when
Chelsea were flying last season, now they're 16th and
struggling horribly!
6. MSN v Koscielny: Europe's best attack against
Europe's best centre-back?
Arsenal fans have long felt that Laurent Koscielny is
the best central defender in the world, and now he
gets a chance to really prove it. Of teams that
qualified for the knockouts, only Roma (16) conceded
more goals than the Gunners… and now they take on
Barcelona's devilish MSN attack.
7. Zlatan show disguises PSG's greatest weapon
How Jose Mourinho must wish he could call on a
striker as dominant as Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Swede
has frequently been linked with Chelsea, but the
damage he could sow is not the Blues' biggest
problem. Their French opponents' defence is the
meanest in the Champions League this term,
conceding just once. Diego Costa needs to find his
shooting boots fast!
8. PSV to spring a surprise against Atletico?
Diego Simeone could hardly have hand-picked a
better tie for his Atletico Madrid team, but PSV will
fancy their chances. Phillip Cocu's side have reached
the last 16 for the first time since 2006-07, when he
was still anchoring the midfield. Back then they
stunned Arsenal to make the quarters.
9. Vidal & Coman return to Juventus
Bayern Munich's clash with Juventus is the pick of the
knockout rounds, as two bona fide champions go
head-to-head. The contest will be especially intriguing
given how Bayern Munich raided The Old Lady in the
summer, nabbing Arturo Vidal and Kingsley Coman.
Former FCB frontman Mario Mandzukic will want to
get the last laugh against his old club too.
10. Will we finally see Man City in the quarter-finals?
It has been a long time coming, but Manchester City
look set to finally make the quarter-finals of the
Champions League. Manuel Pellergini's side were
spared numerous tougher fixtures to be drawn
against Dynamo Kyev – runners-up Juventus landed
Bayern! – and they don't have to worry about
disrespecting the competition's anthem, given that
they will be playing in an empty stadium in Kiev.
11. The coefficient battle
The tete-a-tete between Italy and England over a
fourth Champions League spot could be put to bed in
the last 16. Chelsea, Arsenal, Juventus and Roma
have all been handed dastardly ties, and that means
Manchester City's run could prove decisive – how
times have changed compared to when they couldn't
even get out of the group!