Arsenal to play Barcelona, Chelsea face PSG

Posted Tuesday, December 15, 2015 by skysports.com

Barcelona are the Champions League holders after winning this year's final

Arsenal have been drawn against holders Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Chelsea will face Paris Saint-Germain in the knockout stages for the third season running, while Manchester City's opponents are Dynamo Kiev.

Arsenal were always vulnerable to a difficult draw having scraped through their qualifying group as runners-up, and the nightmare scenario was confirmed when they were pulled out with the current champions.

Barca eliminated Arsene Wenger's side in successive years in 2010 and 2011 and denied the Gunners the trophy with two late goals in the 2006 final at the Stade de France.

And the Londoners will be long odds-against to reverse those results against opponents boasting two of the three Ballon d'Or nominees in Lionel Messi and Neymar.

Arsenal to play Barcelona, Chelsea face PSG
Barcelona beat Arsenal in the 2006 final after Jens Lehmann was sent off

Arsenal club secretary David Miles told SSNHQ: "If you ask Arsenal fans, this is probably the tie we least wanted against Barcelona.

"The last few times we've played them they've always had the upperhand, so maybe this is the right time to turn the tables and beat them.

"We have a few injured players, so if we can get those back and play them with a full strength Arsenal side we've got some world class players of our own and I'm hoping we'll put on a very good show in the two legs."

Chelsea, on paper at least, have been handed one of the more difficult draws possible as group winners and must take on a PSG side that knocked them out at the same stage last season.

The teams also met in the quarter-finals the previous year, Chelsea winning that one on away goals.

Arsenal to play Barcelona, Chelsea face PSG
PSG eliminated Chelsea last season despite Zlatan Ibrahimovic's red card

City's tie against the Ukrainians represents a chance to get beyond the last 16 for the first time, and their away leg will be played in an empty stadium as punishment for previous crowd disturbances and racist behaviour among Dynamo supporters.

The stand-out tie elsewhere sees last season's runners-up Juventus paired with Bayern Munich.

Last-16 ties (first team named at home in first leg):

Feb 16/March 9
Paris Saint-Germain v Chelsea
Benfica v Zenit

Feb 17/March 8
Gent v Wolfsburg
Roma v Real Madrid

Feb 23/March 16
Arsenal v Barcelona
Juventus v Bayern Munich

Feb 24/March 15
PSV v Atletico Madrid
Dynamo Kiev v Manchester City