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Arsenal, AC Milan set for knockout clash following UEFA Champions League draw

RVP (Reuters Pictures)

With AC Milan in the runner-up pot, the odds of a high-profile matchup in the first knockout round of the UEFA Champions League were quite high. As it turns out, the draw did not disappoint.

Arsenal got paired with Milan during Friday's Champions League draw, setting the stage for an intriguing battle in the tournament's Round of 16. The two met in this round of the 2007-2008 Champions League as well, with Arsenal moving on to the quarterfinals. The other remaining English competitor, Chelsea, will also face a high-powered Italian side after drawing Napoli.

As for the two Spanish powerhouses, defending champion Barcelona must face Bayer Leverkusen as the next step in its quest to repeat, while Real Madrid drew CSKA Moscow. 

Here are all of the Champions League knockout pairings:

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE KNOCKOUT PAIRINGS (group winners listed first)

Arsenal vs. AC Milan

Chelsea vs. Napoli

Barcelona vs. Bayer Leverkusen

Real Madrid vs. CSKA Moscow

Bayern Munich vs. FC Basel

APOEL Nicosia vs. Lyon

Benfica vs. Zenit St. Petersburg

Inter Milan vs. Marseille

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What do you think of the draw? Do you see any group runners-up pulling off the upset? Who do you see winning the Arsenal-AC Milan matchup? 

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I also viewed APOEL as a cupcake until they won the group that included three Europea league winners. They finished ahead of Porto, Zenit and Shakhtar.

    Reply
  2. You see I’d put it the other way — APOEL got lucky. They may not have the flashy names of Lyon but truth be told they aren’t a fluke. APOEL, over the last 3-4 years, has specifically built a team capable of advancing deep into the CL. Lyon is good but nowhere near their past teams of the 2003-2008 era.

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  3. So much remains to be seen, including will Drogba still be with Chelsea. If not, I’d make Napoli a strong favorite to move on. Milan looks like the should be favored over Arsenal. Bad news for the English.

    In the long run, it doesn’t matter — the 3 strongest teams got good draws. So long as they don’t have to play each other in the next round, Barca, Madrid and Bayern should make the semis. Milan could trouble a team like Madrid or Bayern, but the big 3 are the big 3 for a reason. They are a cut above the other teams because they are more well-rounded.

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  4. United had it “easy” too.

    Now they’re playing in Europa League against Ajax…

    just saying, this is Champions League.

    Reply
  5. Don’t forget the 2 French teams and the 2 Russian teams and in the case of the Russians, they’ve been doing this on a regular basis the past few years but somehow we in the west don’t talk about it as much as we should. If Barca were a team made of mortals this would be an open tournament but in my opinion this is their tourney to lose.

    Reply

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