Champions League Draw 2014-15: Full Rundown of Potential Last-16 Matchups
The last 16 of the Champions League signals a momentum shift for the competition. Flagging teams have been eliminated, leaving a selection of Europe's best to duke it out for the grandest prize in club football.
Monday's knockout-stage draw is guaranteed to pit giants against each other, upping the intensity of an already extremely entertaining tournament. "The real Champions League starts now," said Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho following the conclusion of the group stage on Wednesday, per BBC Sport, as the continent's so-called "sharks" set their sights on reaching the 2015 final in Berlin.
Here's all you need to know about the draw process and who can be pitted against each other.
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Seeding and How the Draw Works
The convoluted seeding process becomes much simpler at this point. Teams will be drawn from two pots—split into group winners and those who finished second—with every side being placed against another from the opposite section. This means Bayern Munich can't take on Real Madrid (not yet, anyway).
As detailed by UEFA, teams from the same country cannot come into contact at this point. For example, while Borussia Dortmund and Schalke are in different pots, they are guaranteed to face sides who aren't from Germany.
It's also important to acknowledge teams from the same group cannot be paired until the following round. Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are situated in opposite pots and hail from different countries, but their battles in Group F mean they will avoid each other. Anyone can be drawn against anyone when the quarter-finals begin.
For reference, here's a look at how the pots are split:
| Atletico Madrid | Juventus |
| Real Madrid | Basel |
| AS Monaco | Bayer Leverkusen |
| Borussia Dortmund | Arsenal |
| Bayern Munich | Manchester City |
| Barcelona | Paris Saint-Germain |
| Chelsea | Schalke 04 |
| Porto | Shakhtar Donetsk |
Potential Matchups for Each Team
English Clubs
| Chelsea | Winners, Group G | Basel, Bayer Leverkusen Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, Shakhtar Donetsk |
| Arsenal | Second, Group D | Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Monaco, Porto, Real Madrid |
| Manchester City | Second, Group E | Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Monaco, Porto, Real Madrid |
Chelsea's "reward" for winning their group could be a difficult test against Paris Saint-Germain. Laurent Blanc's men are arguably the toughest opponent the Blues can face—many supporters will also wish to avoid Juventus—but Mourinho isn't afraid of anyone.
In fact, he wishes to remain close to home. Jonathan Johnson of ESPN FC highlights why:
Arsenal will be hoping to receive a draw against Monaco or Porto from their possible options. It will certainly be grim reading for Arsene Wenger's team if not, with potential trips to Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich a possibility.
Manchester City face a similar scenario but could face Borussia Dortmund instead of Bayern. The value of winning each group becomes apparent at this point.
Spanish Clubs
| Atletico Madrid | Winners, Group A | Arsenal, Basel, Bayer Leverkusen, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Schalke 04, Shakhtar Donetsk |
| Real Madrid | Winners, Group B | Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Schalke 04, Shakhtar Donetsk |
| Barcelona | Winners, Group F | Arsenal, Basel, Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus, Manchester City, Schalke 04, Shakhtar Donetsk |
Few draws will upset either Barcelona or Real Madrid. The Blaugrana will be thankful to escape further ties with PSG and will perhaps hope for a trip to Germany. Bayer Leverkusen and Schalke proved themselves horribly inconsistent during the group stage, while Swiss side Basel would also represent a fine draw for Luis Enrique's men.
Los Blancos will head into any tie full of confidence, having put together a historic run of 19 consecutive wins ahead of jetting off to the FIFA Club World Cup, reported by Nicholas Rigg of The Independent.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi could face Shakhtar Donetsk's Luiz Adriano—the competition's top scorer through the group stage with nine goals, per WhoScored.com—in fixtures that would thoroughly test the Ukrainian side's attacking prowess.
Atletico will remain fearless no matter who they are paired with, such is the mindset of Diego Simeone.
German Clubs
| Borussia Dortmund | Winners, Group D | Basel, Juventus, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Shakhtar Donetsk |
| Bayern Munich | Winners, Group E | Arsenal, Basel, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Shakhtar Donetsk |
| Schalke | Second, Group G | Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Monaco, Porto, Real Madrid |
Pep Guardiola's Bayern took their foot off the gas with two group-stage games remaining, suffering their first defeat (to Manchester City) after their overall victory in the section had already been confirmed.
The five-time winners are poised to put together a strong run when the intensity increases, as are Dortmund, who were defeated by Bayern in the 2013 showpiece at Wembley.
While Bayern will remain confident no matter who is drawn alongside them, Jurgen Klopp will likely favour ties against Basel or Shakhtar.
Schalke face a trip to Spain if they aren't provided with ties against Monaco or Porto, a fate which would likely spell the end of the Gelsenkirchen club's involvement. Leverkusen's late group-stage loss to Monaco and draw with Benfica has put them in a desperate situation.
Other Clubs
| Monaco | Winners, Group C | Arsenal, Basel, Juventus, Manchester City, Schalke 04, Shakhtar Donetsk |
| Porto | Winners, Group H | Arsenal, Basel, Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Schalke 04 |
| Juventus | Second, Group A | Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, Monaco, Porto, Real Madrid |
| Basel | Second, Group B | Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, Porto |
| Paris Saint-Germain | Second, Group F | Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, Porto, Real Madrid |
| Shakhtar Donetsk | Second, Group H | Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, Monaco, Real Madrid |
It's been a topsy-turvy run through the competition for most of the other clubs, aside from Porto, who ranked among the most impressive group-stage performers. The official Champions League Twitter account noted this:
Juventus and PSG will be touted as the most likely best-of-the-rest sides to put up a challenge for the trophy. Football pundit Matteo Bonetti recently told B/R UK's Ryan Bailey exactly who he believes the top 5 most likely winners are:
Whatever the outcome, we are guaranteed a selection of cracking ties.
Bayern Munich and holders Real Madrid are currently considered favourites by Oddschecker. The rest of the pack certainly face a momentous task to overpower such explosive sides, but as ever, a lucky draw could make a huge difference.
