
face holders Bayern Munich in the last 16 of the Champions
League.
The Premier League leaders, beaten by Bayern at the same stage last
year, have paid a heavy price for a final-day defeat at Napoli which
relegated them to runners-up in their group.
And Manchester City, who finished second to Bayern in their group,
have been similarly punished with a tie against Barcelona on their first
appearance in the knockout stages.
Elsewhere Chelsea will be up against Galatasaray and Didier Drogba, the
man whose penalty won them the competition in 2012.
And Greek champions Olympiakos stand between Manchester United
and a place in the quarter-finals.
City’s draw is all the more galling given the circumstances: needing a
two-goal victory at Bayern to finish top, Manuel Pellegrini’s misreading
of the mathematics led him to defend a 3-2 lead rather than chase a
fourth goal.
City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain, who joined the club from
Barcelona, admitted the draw “could be maybe better”.
But he told Sky Sports News: “For the people it’s a great, great
match. Two big teams, one with a lot of history, the other a new one
also trying to win the trophy and be there in Europe.
“And the game in Munich, winning against the champions, will give us a
lot of confidence going away to Barcelona.
“The way that we are playing, we’re showing we can score in all
matches. This is the most important thing in the Champions League.”
Full second-round draw:
Man City v Barcelona
Olympiakos v Manchester United
Milan v Atletico Madrid
Bayer Leverkusen v Paris St Germain
Galatasaray v Chelsea
Schalke v Real Madrid
Zenit St Petersburg v Borussia Dortmund
Arsenal v Bayern Munich
Post a Comment