Man City 'looking forward' to Barcelona clash after nightmare Champions League draw
Posted Tuesday, December 16, 2014 by Dailystar.co.uk
MANCHESTER CITY insist they are not afraid of Barcelona after being handed another nightmare Champions League draw.
City will face the Spanish giants in the last-16 for the second year running.
The Catalans dumped Manuel Pellegrini’s men out 4-1 on aggregate last season.
And the Premier League champions only just scraped into the last 16 courtesy a famous 2-0 win against Roma last week.
But City director of football and ex-Barca star Txiki Begiristain said: “We’re looking forward to it.
"We have plenty of confidence with the way we qualified beating Bayern Munich at home and Roma away, so the players will be working hard to get fit and arrive in confidence for those games.
"We have improved our squad from last season and we have some real quality up front.”
DRAW: The Champions League Last 16 draw has been made
Barca star Lionel Messi taunted Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero by declaring he is aiming to dish out more pain - after dominating their computer duels.
Messi said: “Looking forward to playing in the next round of the UEFA Champions League.
"It’ll be really nice to face my friend Sergio Aguero as I always beat him at FIFA, but let’s see what happens on the pitch.”
The game will also mark Luis Suarez’s first return to this country since his controversial move from Liverpool last summer.
Arsene Wenger and his Arsenal players were delighted to land Monaco in the first knock-out round.
The clash will see Wenger take on the club he used to manage and led to the 1994 Champions League semis.
Midfielder Aaron Ramsey said: “Monaco! I’m sure our fans will enjoy the away trip... great place, great draw!”
Mesut Ozil said: “It’s AS Monaco - Monsieur Wenger will be happy about the draw.”
Chelsea will also face French opposition after being paired with Paris St-Germain, who they knocked out in last year’s quarter-finals, and their former defender David Luiz.
Blues secretary David Barnard said: “PSG are known to us as we played them in the quarters last year and they’ve got David Luiz playing for them too.
"It’s a good draw logistically too for our supporters.
"Both sides have very different squads from last year, so if it was PSG or anyone else, it would’ve been the same situation.”
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said: “Chelsea is a good draw for us. I’m very confident.”
The first legs will take place in February with the return games in March.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LAST 16 DRAW:
PSG v Chelsea
Shakhtar Donetsk v Bayern Munich
Schalke v Real Madrid
Basel v FC Porto
Man City v Barcelona
Juventus v Borussia Dortmund
Bayer Leverkusen v Atletico Madrid
Arsenal v Monaco
Round of 16 first leg matches will be played on 17/18 and 24/25 February and the return matches on 10/11 and 17/18 March.
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