Excitement was growing across Europe ahead of one of the most eagerly anticipated days on the footballing calendar : The draw for the first knock-out round of this season UEFA Champions League. 9 past European Champion Clubs’ Cup winners featured in the draw for the round of 16.
The draw has been conducted by UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino and UEFA director of competitions Giorgio Marchetti, assisted by final ambassador Steve McManaman.
Two seeding pots had been previously formed to determine the matchups : one pot consisting of group winners and the second pot consisting of runners-up. No team could play a club from their group or any side from their own domestic league.
Group winners : PSG (France), FC Schalke 04 (Germany), Málaga CF (Spain), Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Juventus (Italy), FC Bayern München (Germany), FC Barcelona (Spain), Manchester United FC (England)
Group runners-up : FC Porto (Portugal), Arsenal FC (England), AC Milan (Italy), Real Madrid CF (Spain), FC Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine), Valencia CF (Spain), Celtic FC (Scotland), Galatasaray AŞ (Turkey)
Seeded group winners will be away in the round of 16 first legs on 12/13 and 19/20 February and at home in the return matches on 5/6 and 12/13 March. The matchups are as shown below :
Galatasaray AŞ vs Schalke 04
First leg : 20th of February
Return leg : 12th of March
Celtic FC vs Juventus
First leg : 12h of February
Return leg : 6th of March
Arsenal FC vs Bayern München
First leg : 19th of February
Return leg : 13th of March
FC Shakhtar Donetsk vs Borussia Dortmund
First leg : 13th of February
Return leg : 5th of March
AC Milan vs FC Barcelona
First leg : 20th of February at San Siro
Return leg : 12th of March at the Camp Nou (buy tickets)
Real Madrid CF vs Manchester United
First leg : 13th of February at Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Return leg : 5th of March at Old Trafford, Manchester
Valencia CF vs Paris SG
First leg : 12h of February
Return leg : 6th of March
FC Porto vs Malaga CF
First leg : 19th of February
Return leg : 13th of March
FC Barcelona vs AC Milan in the Champions League
