Sevilla set for Steaua showdown

Eindhoven success
The Spanish side claimed a first European trophy with an emphatic 4-0 defeat of Middlesbrough FC in Eindhoven in May and, having subsequently beaten FC Barcelona to collect the UEFA Super Cup, will be full of confidence as they travel to Bucharest for the first leg on 14/15 February before the return at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán the following week. That said, Steaua - semi-finalists last season - have happy memories of Seville having overcome FC Barcelona in their opponents' stadium in the 1986 European Champion Clubs' Cup final.

'Worst possible draw'
Assessing Sevilla's draw, goalkeeper Andrés Palop said: "We're playing a team from the UEFA Champions League and it will be a test of our game but we're not afraid. We avoided Werder Bremen and if we go about things the right way we can win." Steaua coach Cosmin Olariou sounded less happy as he said: "Like in the UEFA Champions League, we've got the worst possible draw, but it would be hugely satisfying if we could eliminate Sevilla. They are one of the strongest teams in Europe but we must not forget that last season we were only a few seconds away from playing them in the UEFA Cup final."

Final memories
Meanwhile, in a repeat of the 1974 final, Feyenoord - who prevailed over two legs on that occasion - play Tottenham Hotspur FC, who have won all six games so far and lifted this trophy in 1972 and 1984, ousting Feyenoord en route to the latter success. Elsewhere, another of the English contenders, Newcastle United FC - the sole remaining qualifiers from the UEFA Intertoto Cup - face Belgium's SV Zulte Waregem, Portugal's SC Braga tackle Parma FC, winners in 1995 and 1999, and RC Lens take on Panathinaikos FC.

Leverkusen test
Bayer 04 Leverkusen, UEFA Champions League runners-up five seasons ago and winners of this tournament in 1988, are the obstacle for Blackburn Rovers FC. Rangers FC encounter Israeli opposition for the second time this term in the shape of Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC, AS Livorno Calcio come up against RCD Espanyol - one of four Spanish contenders - and Fenerbahçe SK meet AZ Alkmaar.

Eye-catching
Werder Bremen have home advantage first as they play AFC Ajax, UEFA Cup winners in 1992 in addition to their four European Cup triumphs, while another team moving into this tournament from the UEFA Champions League, FC Spartak Moskva, face RC Celta de Vigo. PFC CSKA Moskva, winners in 2005, confront Maccabi Haifa FC and AEK Athens FC are pitted with Paris Saint-Germain FC. SL Benfica, losing finalists in 1982 but twice European champions in the 1960s, take on Romanian league leaders FC Dinamo 1948 Bucuresti, FC Shakhtar Donetsk have the challenge of AS Nancy-Lorraine and FC Girondins de Bordeaux, runners-up in 1995/96, tackle CA Osasuna.

Last 16 draw
The format is two-legged knockout ties with the first legs to be played on 14/15 February and the second legs on 22 February. Final dates, kick-off times and venues will be communicated by 8 January. The draw for the last 16 also took place, with no sides seeded. Match dates are set for 8 and 15 March and final dates, venues and kick-off times will be confirmed on 26 February.