The UEFA Champions League trophy alongside the draw for the last 16. Photo...EPA
Man City face Copenhagen, as UEFA Champions League draw pairs Arsenal with Porto
Defending champions, Manchester City will face FC Copenhagen of Denmark in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League, while last season’s English Premier League (EPL) runners’ up, and current league leaders, Arsenal FC, will take on Portuguese side Porto in the first knockout round.
Manchester City are both defending champions of the UEFA Champions League and the EPL.
This follows the much-anticipated Last 16 draws of the UEFA Champions League which held, Monday, at UEFA’s Swiss headquarters.
City played Copenhagen – who came through a group that included Manchester United – in the early stages last season, winning 5-0 at the Etihad Stadium and drawing 0-0 in Denmark. Porto, meanwhile, qualified as runners-up to Barcelona in Group H.
Spanish champions Barcelona were handed a tough assignment against Serie A winners Napoli. Real Madrid, the record 14-time winners, were paired with Leipzig, while their city rivals Atlético must face Inter.
Paris St Germain (PSG) will play the fourth Spanish side in the draw, Real Sociedad, with the two German teams – Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund – tackling Lazio and PSV, respectively.
As winners of their groups, City and Arsenal will play the first legs of their ties away. The first legs will take place on 13, 14, 20 or 21 February, with the return matches on 5, 6, 12 or 13 March.
The draw for the Europa League knockout playoff round, which featured the eight group runners-up plus eight teams dropping down from the Champions League, was also made. Brighton, Liverpool, West Ham and Rangers were not involved, having all topped their groups and progressed straight through to the last 16.
Galatasaray, who edged out Manchester United to take third in their Champions League group, will face Sparta Prague, with Milan, who finished above Newcastle, facing Rennes. Other notable ties were Feyenoord v Roma, along with Shakhtar Donetsk v Marseille.
