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Barca draws easy Champions fixture
Source: Agencies |
December 17, 2011, Saturday
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Print Edition
DEFENDING champion Barcelona got the luck of the draw yesterday and will play Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16 of the Champions League.
As Barcelona avoided a long trip to Russia in freezing cold February temperatures, that arduous task fell to rival Real Madrid, which will play CSKA Moscow.
"For us, the most important thing is not to play in Russia, for the temperatures and the distance," Barcelona director Amador Bernabeu said.
The draw also set up a pair of Italy-England clashes. Arsenal will face AC Milan and Chelsea was drawn to play Napoli.
Also, it was: Marseille vs Inter Milan, FC Basel vs Bayern Munich; Lyon vs APOEL Nicosia, and Zenit St. Petersburg vs Benfica.
The first legs will be played on February 14-15 and 21-22, with the return matches on March 6-7 and 13-14.
With the two Russian teams unseeded after finishing runner-up in their groups, two seeded teams were sure to be sent on the long journey north. "It will be a key factor. The weather and the temperature, we're not used to that," Madrid director Emilio Butragueno said. "We have to be very careful."
Milan director Umberto Gandini recalled that Arsenal eliminated the seven-time European champion at the same stage in 2008. "It's a rematch of Arsenal beating us 2-0 at the San Siro. It will be a great match," Gandini said.
Arsenal has already eliminated an Italian opponent, beating Udinese in the playoff round in August.
Napoli, which has never played in the knockout rounds of the Champions League, proved itself against English opposition by getting four points against Manchester City in its group.
"It will be difficult having seen Napoli when they were in the same group as Man City," Chelsea club secretary David Barnard said. "Unfortunately City are no longer with us, which reflects the quality of Napoli."
APOEL, the first Cypriot club to reach the knockout round, shaped as the weakest of the seeded clubs and was paired with Lyon.
"We must not speak only of luck," Lyon president Jean Michel Aulas said. "APOEL have been exceptional in the first round and drew all three of their away matches."
Benfica also goes to Russia to play Zenit St. Petersburg, while two match-ups are almost local derbies. Bayern has the short journey to Basel on the Swiss-German border and Inter has the fewest possible kilometers to travel to face Marseille.
Bayern beat Basel home and away in last season's group stage, but the Swiss champion has since stepped up to eliminate Manchester United this month.
As Barcelona avoided a long trip to Russia in freezing cold February temperatures, that arduous task fell to rival Real Madrid, which will play CSKA Moscow.
"For us, the most important thing is not to play in Russia, for the temperatures and the distance," Barcelona director Amador Bernabeu said.
The draw also set up a pair of Italy-England clashes. Arsenal will face AC Milan and Chelsea was drawn to play Napoli.
Also, it was: Marseille vs Inter Milan, FC Basel vs Bayern Munich; Lyon vs APOEL Nicosia, and Zenit St. Petersburg vs Benfica.
The first legs will be played on February 14-15 and 21-22, with the return matches on March 6-7 and 13-14.
With the two Russian teams unseeded after finishing runner-up in their groups, two seeded teams were sure to be sent on the long journey north. "It will be a key factor. The weather and the temperature, we're not used to that," Madrid director Emilio Butragueno said. "We have to be very careful."
Milan director Umberto Gandini recalled that Arsenal eliminated the seven-time European champion at the same stage in 2008. "It's a rematch of Arsenal beating us 2-0 at the San Siro. It will be a great match," Gandini said.
Arsenal has already eliminated an Italian opponent, beating Udinese in the playoff round in August.
Napoli, which has never played in the knockout rounds of the Champions League, proved itself against English opposition by getting four points against Manchester City in its group.
"It will be difficult having seen Napoli when they were in the same group as Man City," Chelsea club secretary David Barnard said. "Unfortunately City are no longer with us, which reflects the quality of Napoli."
APOEL, the first Cypriot club to reach the knockout round, shaped as the weakest of the seeded clubs and was paired with Lyon.
"We must not speak only of luck," Lyon president Jean Michel Aulas said. "APOEL have been exceptional in the first round and drew all three of their away matches."
Benfica also goes to Russia to play Zenit St. Petersburg, while two match-ups are almost local derbies. Bayern has the short journey to Basel on the Swiss-German border and Inter has the fewest possible kilometers to travel to face Marseille.
Bayern beat Basel home and away in last season's group stage, but the Swiss champion has since stepped up to eliminate Manchester United this month.
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