CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2010-11
AFTER 96 group stages matches and 276 goals, the wheat has been cut from the chaff.
Among the remaining 16 teams are the English quartet of Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Spurs, who will find out thier next opponents in today’s draw.
The Gunners will be most worried, with Barcelona or Real Madrid potentially next up, while holders Inter Milan lie wait for Chelsea and United.
Liverpool and Manchester City will also discover their next Europa League assignments today.
Inter Milan
Last season: Winners
Stadium: Giuseppe Meazza
Manager: Rafael Benitez
How they qualified: Runners-up in Group A after two battles with Spurs and dodgy results in their other two away games
Domestic form: In trouble, 13 points behind leaders AC Milan
Star man: Samuel Eto’o has scored seven goals in six Champions League games
WHO THEY CAN FACE:
Marseille
Last season: Group stage
Stadium: Stade Velodrome
Manager: Didier Deschamps
How they qualified: Runners-up in Group F after bouncing back from defeats in their opening two games
Domestic form: The French champions are five points off the Ligue 1 pace
Star man: Former Spurs target, and France striker, Loic Remy
WHO THEY CAN FACE:
Lyon
Last season: Semi-finals
Stadium: Stade de Gerland
Manager: Claude Puel
How they qualified: Group B runners-up after dropping just four points
Domestic form: Third in Ligue 1, just two points off top spot
Star man: Brazilian winger Michel Bastos and Argentine forward Lisandro Lopez offer a significant goal threat
WHO THEY CAN FACE:
Roma
Last season: Did not qualify
Stadium: Stadio Olimpico
Manager: Claudio Ranieri
How they qualified: Runners-up in Group E after losing at home to Basle but recovering by beating Bayern in Rome.
Domestic form: Well off the pace, 10 points behind AC Milan
Star man: Striker Marco Borriello has scored four goals in six Champions League games this season
WHO THEY CAN FACE:
AC Milan
Last season: Last 16
Stadium: Giuseppe Meazza Manager: Massimiliano Allegri
How they qualified: Runners-up in Group G after only winning two matches
Domestic form: The runnaway leaders of Serie A by six points
Star man: Big money signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic has four goals in six European games this season and is ably assisted by Brazilian trio Alexandre Pato, Robinho and Ronaldinho
WHO THEY CAN FACE:
FC Copenhagen
Last season: Did not qualify
Stadium: Parken Stadium
Manager: Stale Solbakken
How they qualified: Runners up in Group D after remaining unbeaten at home, holding Barca to a draw
Domestic form: Still unbeaten and 19 points clear at the top
Star man: Midfielder Martin Vingaard’s two Champions League goals helped his side become the first Danish team ever to reach this stage of Europe’s premier club competition
WHO THEY CAN FACE:
Schalke
Last season: Did not qualify
Stadium: Veltins Arena
Manager: Felix Magath
How they qualified: Winners of Group B after emerging victorious in all of their home matche
Domestic form: Their anticipated title challenge hasn’t materialised. Already lost seventimes and are 24 points off the pace in 10th
Star man: Former Real Madrid and AC Milan striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has scored three in six for Schalke in Europe this season following his big-money move from AC Milan. Meanwhile, the competition’s joint all-time leading goalscorer Raul remains a threat at this level at the grand old age of 33
WHO THEY CAN FACE:
Barcelona
Last season: Semi-finals
Stadium: Camp Nou
Manager: Pep Guardiola
How they qualified: Qualified as unbeaten winners of Group D but won only one of their three away matches
Domestic form: Top of the league and have dropped points in only two matches this season
Star man: In a team of fantasy players Lionel Messi is the one man who is irreplaceable
WHO THEY CAN FACE:
Valencia
Last season: Did not qualify
Stadium: Mestalla
Manager: Unai Emery
How they qualified: Runners up to Manchester United in Group C and scored 10 times in two games against Bursaspor
Domestic form: Challenging for a top four spot but have lost against Both Barca and Real this season
Star man: Roberto Soldado has scored five in five Champions League appearances this term but Juan Mata is the real gem
WHO THEY CAN FACE:
Bayern Munich
Last season: Runners-up
Stadium: Allianz Arena
Manager: Louis van Gaal
How they qualified: Winners of Group E after an impressive campaign thus far, dropping points only in a 3-2 defeat at Roma
Domestic form: Struggling in the Bundesliga, sixth in the table and 17 points behind leaders Borussia Dortmund
Star man: Striker Mario Gomez and winger Arjen Robben, who is yet to play this season following a recurrence of the hamstring trouble that has regularly interrupted his career, but the former Chelsea flyer is due to make his return from injury in time for the next round
WHO THEY CAN FACE:
Real Madrid
Last season: Last 16
Stadium: Santiago Bernabeu
Manager: Jose Mourinho
How they qualified: Won five out of six and missed out on a clean sweep following a thrilling 2-2 draw in Milan
Domestic form: Only two points behind leaders Barcelona despite their recent 5-0 hammering at the hands of Pep Guardiola’s side
Star man: The world’s most expensive player, £80m man, Cristiano Ronaldo has four European goals this season
WHO THEY CAN FACE: