Champions League Set for the Knockout Stages

The lineup for the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League has been finalized as Manchester United, Bayern Munich, FC Porto and Juventus each clinched their places in the first knockout round as winners of their respective sections.

Group Winners

• AS Roma (ITA)
• Panathinaikos FC (GRE)
• FC Barcelona (ESP)
• Liverpool FC (ENG)
• Manchester United FC (ENG)
• FC Bayern Munich (GER)
• FC Porto (POR)
• Juventus (ITA)

Group Runners-Up

• Chelsea FC (ENG)
• Inter Milan (ITA)
• Sporting Lisbon (POR)
• Atlético Madrid (ESP)
• Villarreal CF (ESP)
• Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)
• Arsenal FC (ENG)
• Real Madrid CF (ESP)

Draw conditions
* Teams from the same association cannot be drawn against each other.
* The winners and runners-up of the same group cannot be drawn against each other.
* Group winners cannot be drawn against each other.
* Group runners-up cannot be drawn against each other.
* All group runners-up will play their first-leg matches at home.

Because teams cannot face a team from their own country at this stage of the tournament, that limits potential opponents. For example Barcelona will play either Chelsea, Inter Milan, Lyon, or Arsenal in the round of 16. Think that Inter or Arsenal will regret their performance this week if they get drawn against the best team in Europe (at the moment)?

Inter’s shock loss to Bremen this week means that Inter will wind up facing any of the following opponents: Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, or FC Porto. None of these games will be easy for the special one.

For defending champions Manchester United, their potential group of 16 matchups include Inter, Sporting Lisbon, Atlético Madrid, Olympique Lyonnais, and Real Madrid. After the Ronaldo transfer sage over the summer, a Real Madrid vs. Manchester United game would generate tons of media stories between the draw on December 19th and the first match in late February.

For Arsenal their oppoents will be one of Juventus, Barcelona, Roma, Bayern Munich, and Panathinaikos. For Chelsea it will be one of Juventus, Barcelona, Porto, Bayern Munich, and Panathinaikos.