Predicting the Teams to Make the Champions League Round of 16

After an all-German final for the first time in the history of the Champions League, it was Bayern Munich who triumphed on a glorious night at Wembley three months ago. 

After a thrilling 90 minutes, the game was heading toward extra-time with the scores level at 1-1. But after last year's heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat to Chelsea, Arjen Robben made amends with a last-gasp winner.

There were amazing scenes in London that night, but the feelings were a mixture of both joy and relief, as Jupp Heynckes finally brought the European Cup to Die Roten at the third attempt.

With Barcelona and Real Madrid still reeling from their semifinal defeats, the Spanish giants are sure to be back better than ever.

And today, we gaze into the future to predict just who might get past the competitive group stages, and there may be a few surprises in store.

Come take a look, won't you?

Bayern Munich

After winning the Champions League under Jupp Heynckes and, eventually, an unprecedented treble, there is a lot of work for new coach Pep Guardiola to do to ensure he maintains the Bavarian side's success.

The German giants were in sensational form last season both on a domestic and European level, setting the record for points won and smashing the previous total of goals scored.

As a result, the Spaniard has inherited a team that almost does not need changing and has already made his mark at the Allianz Arena. Mario Gotze arrived in controversial circumstances from Borussia Dortmund, while Guardiola sought to bring the prodigious Thiago Alcantara from his previous employers, Barcelona, in a deal worth €25 million.

Promising midfielder Emre Can left to join rivals Bayer Leverkusen with the teenager falling down the pecking order, and Germany striker Mario Gomez left to sign for ambitious Serie A outfit Fiorentina.

It may be all change in Munich, but Guardiola knows it's definitely possible to create Champions League history by helping Bayern Munich retain their crown with the current squad. 

Barcelona

Sure, Barcelona have experienced a slight downturn in fortunes since Pep Guardiola left.

That is despite the club regaining the La Liga title from fierce rivals Real Madrid and reaching the Champions League semifinals. They lost inspirational coach Tito Vilanova, who sadly resigned from his post due to health problems.

But the Catalan giants know they must improve under his successor Gerardo "Tata" Martino, brought in from Argentinian side Newell's Old Boys. The tactician, who previously coached Paraguay and Libertad, is making his first outing in Europe as a coach.

The club have brought in Brazilian star Neymar from Santos, and this is seen as a big step in helping take some of the pressure off Lionel Messi. Still searching for a quality central defender, Martino knows that once the jigsaw is complete, the adventure can begin. 

Expect the Blaugrana to breeze through the group stages, only to find a tougher test waiting in the knockout rounds. 

Chelsea

Chelsea have consistently been one of the most successful sides in the past decade of the Champions League, but there's one man who will be desperate to experience it with the club.

Because although Jose Mourinho was hugely successful in his first stint as Chelsea coach, the semifinal stage was far as the Portuguese boss got to winning the competition.

However, the 50-year-old has won it with Porto and Inter Milan, and to become the first manager to win the Champions League with three different coaches is an enticing opportunity.

Arguably, the squad is proving to be one of the strongest in recent years, and despite last year's failings at the group stage, the Blues will undoubtedly want to erase the memory from their minds.

It won't be easy, but Chelsea belong in the knockout rounds. And that's where we expect them to be.

Real Madrid

Real Madrid have endured quite a summer, haven't they?

The arrivals of Spanish trio Isco, Asier Illarramendi and former Madrid youth player Dani Carvajal have given Los Merengues a youth exuberance which Carlo Ancelotti will be hoping to use to his advantage.

The capital club may have offloaded Gonzalo Higuain, Raul Albiol and Jose Callejon to Napoli, but in the process received around £60 million for the three. And if that helps to fund a move for Gareth Bale, per The Telegraph, it could turn out to be a shrewd piece of business from president Florentino Perez.

They should have no problems getting past the Champions League group stage, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo helping them to a 100 percent record last time out. 

And if they manage to secure the Welsh wing wizard, expect the Spanish giants to be contesting for a trophy that has eluded them since 2002.

Manchester United

Even despite the concerns surrounding David Moyes' opening few months into his Manchester United reign, there can be no doubts about the quality in the squad.

The Red Devils have struggled in the transfer market so far with just one arrival at present, with young full-back Guillermo Varela signing from Uruguayan side Nacional. Cesc Fabregas and Leighton Baines have been mentioned as possible targets, per The Standard, but Moyes' advances have been blocked.

As well as speculation surrounding the future of Wayne Rooney's proposed move to Chelsea, per The Independent, the Premier League champions know time is running out to strengthen the squad.

A failure to do so could see them struggle to get past the group stages, although it's likely they will scramble home and into the knockout stages. 

Porto

Even despite selling another £70 million worth of talent, Porto could well be back in contention in the Champions League yet again.

The 2004 winners were forced to sell Joao Moutinho and James Rodriguez to wealthy Ligue 1 side Monaco, but they have certainly recruited well with Juan Fernando Quintero arriving from Pescara as well as a host of South American youngsters.

New coach Paulo Fonseca guided Pacos de Ferreira into the Champions League qualifiers for the first time in their history before moving to the Portuguese champions.

After going unbeaten for the entire season in the league, it will be a lot harder to do that in the Champions League.

Nevertheless, after showing their credentials in the Emirates Cup, Porto will be a force to be reckoned with.  

Juventus

The Old Lady's chances of impressing in the Champions League this season are about as good as Andrea Pirlo's beard. If you don't rate the beard, we think their chances are very good indeed.

Antonio Conte can concentrate on guiding his side to a more impressive campaign in Europe after his ban last year, and he will no doubt look to build on their quarterfinal exit at the hands of eventual winners Bayern Munich.

The arrivals of Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tevez add a significant amount of firepower to the attack, and the Italian side will be hoping to make a big impact in the competition by getting through the group stage once more.

Dortmund

As a surprise entry for a Champions League finalist, it's becoming increasingly apparent that Borussia Dortmund won't get the chance to progress that far.

Instead, Jurgen Klopp can guide the Bundesliga giants towards the latter stages of the competition by relying on top striker Robert Lewandowski, who has been linked with Bayern according to Goal.com.

Dortmund have to cope with the departure of Mario Gotze, but have done well to bring in the speedy Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from St. Etienne.

And while the final seems out of reach for the German coach, the likes of Ilkay Gundogan and Marco Reus will enable them to challenge for the trophy and get through the group stages.

Napoli

Rafa Benitez has gone from villain to hero at Chelsea, and now he's hoping to maintain hero status at the San Paolo as he returns to management in Italy with Napoli.

The Partenopei were in superb form last season, securing second position in the Serie A before their coach, Walter Mazzarri, announced his departure to Inter Milan.

And even after selling star man Edinson Cavani to PSG, the Italian side have brought in Gonzalo Higuain to bolster their attack.

With the Argentine in attack, it seems a forgone conclusion that Benitez can guide his side past the group stages.

Manchester City

Many would list Manchester City as potential contenders for the Champions League final, and rightly so, given that their squad is one of the most valuable in world football.

But Manuel Pellegrini must be allowed time to focus on settling into his new role at the club, as should new signings Alvaro Negredo, Fernandinho, Jesus Navas and Stevan Jovetic.

As well as this, the Citizens will fight to regain their domestic Premier League title, and that could be placed as the most important objective.

Even with that, expect the Chilean coach to lead his side past the group stages without any hitches. 

Paris Saint-Germain

The re-emergence of Paris Saint-Germain has been timely for French football, and it has, of course, been bankrolled by the riches from the Middle East.

With world-class players such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva among their ranks, PSG were able to win the Ligue 1 title last season, their first since 1994.

They also managed a decent run in the Champions League, going out to Barcelona after managing a 2-2 draw at Parc Des Princes.

And they got past the group stages fairly convincingly. So with Edinson Cavani and Marquinhos coming in, expect them to be determined to reach the same stage this season.

Benfica

Everybody seems to always write off Benfica, but the Portuguese giants were on course for a terrific treble before falling at the last hurdle.

They ended up trophyless, and while it was disappointing, the circumstances were tough. They lost to Chelsea in the Europa League final after Branislav Ivanovic's last-minute header, while Porto remained unbeaten for the entire season.

Benfica were guilty of underestimating their opposition in the Taca de Portugal, losing out to Vitoria Guimaraes 2-1. 

But in Jorge Jesus, they have a coach who is willing to keep the side going, and the Brazilian is keen to dethrone Porto as the country's biggest power.

They went out of the competition at the group stage last year, but if they can keep Oscar Cardozo, they have another shot at getting through.

PSV Eindhoven

Just like Dutch counterparts Ajax, PSV Eindhoven are not exempt from having to sell their best players in order to raise funds.

But equally, the players coming through in addition to the ones the club have already brought in, including Adam Maher and Jeffrey Bruma, show the Eredivise runners-up have a real shot in getting past the group stage.

However, because they didn't fill the automatic qualification spot, PSV must come through the qualifiers where the likes of Arsenal, Milan, Lyon, Schalke and Zenit St. Petersburg are waiting to be paired up against them.

And while that will provide a tough test, Phillip Cocu's men will be ready after a convincing 5-0 aggregate win over Zulte Waregem.

Fenerbahce

The Turkish giants will know that their path into the Champions League will be tough, but after getting to the semifinal of the Europa League last season, coach Ersun Yanal is ready to take the club through.

After re-signing Emmanuel Emenike from Spartak Moscow, the Turkish league runners-up boast a strong attack with the likes of Dirk Kuyt and Moussa Sow at the forefront.

They have previously reached the last-16 before losing out to Chelsea, and to think they could get past the group stage, like rivals Galatasaray did last season, is not far-fetched.

That said, they must overcome experienced sides such as Milan and Lyon before getting there, and that could be the stumbling block. 

AC Milan

They may not be the powerhouse they used to be, but Milan are making small steps of progress with Massimiliano Allegri in charge.

Boasting a youthful presence in attack with Italian internationals Stephan El Shaarawy and Mario Balotelli, the club scraped third place on the last day of the season at the expense of Fiorentina.

The Rossoneri actually managed to get past the group stage, finishing second to surprise package Malaga, and even beat Barcelona 2-0 at the San Siro, before going down 4-0 at the Camp Nou.

Nevertheless, it showed the 2006 champions can still cut it in Europe's biggest competition, and once they get through the qualifiers, Milan can show their credentials in the group stage.

Schalke

And here we have the dark horses of the tournament. 

The German side, despite finishing fourth in the Bundesliga, have been impressive in the Champions League, reaching the knockout stages in each of the last three seasons including the semifinals in 2011-12.

With talented youngsters such as Julian Draxler and Kyriakos Papadopoulos among their ranks, as well as experienced heads like Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Jens Keller can lead his side past the group stages if they manage survive the qualifiers.

As they are seeded, they have an easier test, and it seems likely that Schalke will be contesting for a fourth consecutive knockout spot.