Barcelona happy to have drawn Arsenal in Champions League

It is the game between the pacesetters in Spain and Arsenal which most catches the eye, however. “We’re two sides with a similar understanding of the game”, said Barca director Albert Soler. “But even if Chelsea have some problems at the moment, they remain a great club with a great manager”. He told psg.fr in a video interview following the draw: “It’s the third time we’re going to face them”. We’re working each and every day with our players to be fit and ready.

Chelsea know their opponents well, having beaten PSG en route to the 2014 semi-finals but lost to them in March in a last-16 tie overshadowed by a racist incident involving fans on the Paris Metro. “Juve were runners-up last season which represents a major challenge, but we want to reach the quarters and will do everything we can”.

“We were hoping for a good draw today and it’s probably the tie of the round”, Miles said. Arsenal pretty much have made all the mistakes they could have in the group stage and that would serve as a learning curve for them.

Emilio Butragueño, Real Madrid’s director of institutional relations: “It’s a special competition and we all know what it means and what a source of motivation it is. They have a similar football philosophy to ours, they like to attack and to have the ball”.

“The year before we beat them in the quarter-finals”.

“They are a strong side, but they like to play football and it is just 11 v 11”.

While Blanc feels the repeated meetings between the two sides could prove an advantage, PSG defender Thiago Silva has warned his side to remain on their guard.

Manchester City have been drawn Dynamo Kyiv, who came second in Chelsea’s group.

Wolfsburg, who dumped out Manchester United to reach the knockout phase for the first time, will meet competition debutants Gent from Belgium.

The first legs of the ties, which were drawn at UEFA headquarters in Nyon on Monday, will take place on February 16/17 or 23/23 with the return matches on March 8/9 or 15/16.

City, who won their group for the first time, last faced Kyiv in the Europa League in 2011.

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