BY TEMILADE ENIOLA
Arsenal has been drawn up in a daunting Champions League last-16 clash against Barcelona in a remake of the two sides 2001 clash.
The Gunners won their final two group games with Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiacos to squeeze out of Group F but now play Luis Enrique’s Barca on week commencing February 14 for the first leg. The second leg will be played three weeks later.
Jose Mourinho could not have wished for a worse possible draw after Chelsea were again paired with Paris Saint-Germain.
PSG knocked the Premier League champions out of the competition at this stage last season and were the stiffest possible competition Chelsea could have met.
Manchester City topped their group for the first time ever thanks to a sensational comeback against Borussia Monchengladbach and were paired with Dynamo Kiev during Friday’s draw in Nyon.
Apart from Gent, that provided a favourable draw for Manuel Pellegrini.
Manchester City supporters will not be able to attend the away leg in Ukraine with Dynamo Kiev serving a stadium ban.
Arsenal club secretary David Miles admitted that Barcelona was the draw that all fans were hoping to avoid.
‘We were hoping for a good draw – it’s probably the team most fans would want to avoid,’ he said.
‘It’s up to use to make a good fist of it. We’ve got our own world-class players and it’ll be two fantastic games.
‘I was told by my family that if I came back with Barcelona not to bother to go home.’
LAST 16 TIES
Gent vs Wolfsburg
Roma vs Real Madrid
Paris Saint Germain vs Chelsea
Arsenal vs Barcelona
Juventus vs Bayern Munich
PSV Eindhoven vs Atletic Madrid
Benfica vs Zenit
Dynamo Kiev vs Manchester City
