Manchester
City face an intimidating Champions League last 16 tie with four-times
winners Barcelona.
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 out Premier League
champions City at the same stage last season and boast the competition's
all-time record goalscorer in Lionel Messi.
Manuel Pellegrini's City, 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 February 24 before heading to the Nou Camp on March 18.
Txiki Begiristain, the Manchester City director of football who spent time
at Barcelona 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.
"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 quarter-final stage last season 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.
"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.
Champions League last 16 ties:
Paris St-Germain v Chelsea
Manchester City v Barcelona
Bayer Leverkusen v Atletico Madrid
Juventus v Borussia Dortmund
Schalke v Real Madrid
Shakhtar Donetsk v Bayern Munich
Arsenal v Monaco
Basel v FC Porto
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