2015-16 UEFA Champions League Knockout Stage Draw
By Ty Duffy
UEFA drew the knockout round pairings for the 2015-16 Champions League. Here they are:
KAA Gent vs. Wolfsburg
AS Roma vs. Real Madrid
PSG vs. Chelsea
Arsenal vs. Barcelona
Juventus vs. Bayern Munich
PSV Eindhoven vs. Atletico Madrid
Benfica vs.Zenit St. Petersburg
Dynamo Kyiv vs. Manchester City
Outsider pairings – Gent vs. Wolfsburg and Benfica vs. Zenit – mean big clubs will go down early.
Arsenal, trying to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2010, meet tournament favorite Barcelona. Gooners will remember the 2011 second leg where 10-man Arsenal blew a lead, after Robin Van Persie was sent off for not hearing an offside whistle.
Chelsea meets PSG for the third year in a row. Chelsea advanced 3-3 on away goals in the 2014 quarterfinals. PSG eliminated Chelsea 3-3 on away goals in the 2015 Round of 16.
The Premier League is in a battle with Serie A to keep its fourth Champions League place. The aforementioned English clubs face tough sledding. But, so do the Italian clubs left. Roma drew Real Madrid. Juventus crosses the Alps to play Bayern Munich.