Bayern draw Arsenal, Drogba faces Chelsea return
Monday, December 16, 2013
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FC Bayern München face Arsenal FC in the round of 16 for the second season running while the draw also served up a Chelsea FC reunion for Galatasaray AŞ's Didier Drogba.
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Holders FC Bayern München have been drawn to play one of the teams they eliminated en route to lifting the UEFA Champions League trophy last season, Arsenal FC, in the round of 16 while 2012 winners Chelsea FC will renew acquaintances with a famed former striker.
Round of 16 draw
Manchester City FC (ENG) v FC Barcelona (ESP)
Olympiacos FC (GRE) v Manchester United FC (ENG)
AC Milan (ITA) v Club Atlético de Madrid (ESP)
Bayer 04 Leverkusen (GER) v Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
Galatasaray AŞ (TUR) v Chelsea FC (ENG)
FC Schalke 04 (GER) v Real Madrid CF (ESP)
FC Zenit (RUS) v Borussia Dortmund (GER)
Arsenal FC (ENG) v FC Bayern München (GER)
Monday's draw in Nyon – conducted by UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino, UEFA competitions director Giorgio Marchetti and Luís Figo, ambassador for the final in his home city of Lisbon – means Bayern will travel to England in February for the first leg of their tie. The German champions prevailed on away goals when they met the Gunners at this juncture last term, winning 3-1 at the Arsenal Stadium but losing 2-0 in the return. Bayern also accounted for Arsène Wenger's men in the last 16 in 2004/05.
Chelsea and José Mourinho, meanwhile, will welcome Didier Drogba back to Stamford Bridge when Galatasaray AŞ visit in March. Drogba struck 157 goals in 341 games for the Londoners between 2004 and 2012, but perhaps his most famous act in a Blue shirt was supplying both the equaliser and the clinching shoot-out penalty for the Premier League side in the 2012 final against Bayern.
Chelsea's domestic rivals Manchester City FC, the sole debutants at this stage, were paired with four-time winners FC Barcelona in a contest to savour for their Spanish internationals Álvaro Negredo, David Silva and Jesús Navas, not to mention ex-Blaugrana midfielder Yaya Touré and the club's director of football Txiki Begiristain.
Seeded group winners will be away in the round of 16 first legs on 18/19 and 25/26 February and at home in the return matches on 11/12 and 18/19 March. The draw for the quarter-finals will be held at 12.00CET on 21 March with the semi-final lineup drawn on 11 April, also at 12.00CET. The tournament concludes at Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica on 24 May.
