Barcelona Handed Dream Draw in UEFA Champions League

Defending Champions FC Barcelona were given the ideal matchup against Stuttgart in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 determined by Friday's draw. 

Aside from a 2-0 win in the Camp Nou over Italian Champions Inter, Barcelona failed to produce their best football throughout this season's group stage, but came through to finish top in the group which allowed them to avoid all other group winners. 

Their opponents, Stuttgart, escaped from a relatively easy group where Sevilla was the runaway winner, while the Germans battled out second place with Romanian Champions Unirea Urziceni. 

Although Stuttgart ultimately advanced from their group, the club were not one of the most feared second-place finishers such as AC Milan, Lyon, or Bayern Munich. 

Horst Heldt's side have been in awful form for most of the domestic season, and are currently out of the relegation zone thanks to a better goal difference than 16th place Bochum. 

The two-legged tie is not the only time in recent memory that Barcelona and Stuttgart have faced each other recently. Although both clubs have changed drastically since they were in the same group during the 2007-2008 Champions League, Barcelona's holdovers from that season will feel confident after having little trouble with Stuttgart, who at the time were the reigning German Champions.

In the away leg, captain Carles Puyol and Lionel Messi scored a goal each as Barcelona won 2-0. In Catalonia, three players who have since departed the Camp Nou, Giovani Dos Santos, Samuel Eto'o, and Ronaldinho were all on target as Barcelona won 3-1. 

The key components from Barcelona's team that season still remain, including Xavi, Messi, Puyol, Henry, Toure, Valdes, and Iniesta. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Dani Alves are certainly the two key signings made by Barcelona since the clubs last met. 

Pep Guadiola's talented front line will certainly feel confident facing a leaky Stuttgart defense that features eccentric goalkeeper Jens Lehmann. 

The former Germany goalkeeper stomped on Aristide Bance in last week's match against Mainz, resulting in a penalty and a red card. While leaving the field, Lehmann was involved in an altercation with a fan which concluded with Lehmann ripping the glasses from the man's face. 

Lehmann has since admitted to being "embarrassed" for his actions, but he has stated that he will not retire as his long-time nemesis for the Germany number one jersey Oliver Kahn recently suggested. 

Lehmman has always been capable of the odd blunder, on or off the pitch, and now he seems to be more of a distraction than a positive influence at the club. 

The matchup will also be the return of Belarussian international Alexander Hleb to the Camp Nou. The former Arsenal man spent just one unhappy season with Barcelona where he rarely played. Revenge will certainly be on his mind. 

Stuttgart do possess some firepower up front as well, but Russian star Pavel Pogrebnyak has not settled at the club, striking just three times in the league. 

In all, Barcelona will be overwhelming favorites in the tie and it will come as a shock if the Germans are capable of making the series competitive. 

Prediction: In Stuttgart: Barcelona 2-1

In Barcelona: Barcelona 3-0