Arsenal drew Bayern once again despite finishing top of the group, while Barcelona will face Paris Saint-Germain yet again

In one of the two showpiece games from the draw, Arsenal managed to land German giants Bayern Munich for the 3rd time in the last 5 season. Barcelona will take on Paris Saint-Germain yet again, after drawing the French side for the 3rd time in the last 5 seasons as well.

The full draw for the Champions League is as follows :

Manchester City (ENG) v Monaco (FRA)
Real Madrid (ESP) v Napoli (ITA)
Benfica (POR) v  Borussia Dortmund (GER)
Bayern Munich(GER) v Arsenal (ENG)
Porto (POR) v Juventus (ITA)
Bayern Leverkusen (GER) v Atlético Madrid (ESP)
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) v Barcelona (ESP)
Sevilla (ESP) v Leicester City (ENG)

Arsenal’s luck of the draw continues to evade them, but they have reason to be confident

Arsenal have been knocked out of the competition by Bayern Munich twice in the last five seasons, and know only too well what the Germans are capable of. Wenger’s men dramatically topped the group after Paris Saint-Germain’s surprising draw against Ludogorets, and it hasn’t quite had the outcome Arsene Wenger would have wanted.

The Arsenal manager took the competition seriously despite it only ever being one between PSG and Arsenal, and played a strong team even after qualification was guaranteed.

He has opted not to do this in the past, and this has led to some tough draws over the last few seasons which Wenger was criticised for by fans and pundits alike. Real Madrid and Bayern were one of two teams Arsenal would have been fearing before the draw, and they will now face the task of overcoming the Bavarian giants once again.

That said, this is a side that is a lot stronger than previous incarnations. Wenger’s team have not lost a game in the league other than their opening-day defeat to Liverpool, and they have been putting some very impressive performances in with Alexis Sanchez leading the line.

Bayern have also looked relatively weaker to previous incarnations, with Carlo Ancelotti’s side failing to top their group after losing to Atletico Madrid and, more shockingly, Rostov. We could be in for another surprise result from this draw.

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 27: Arsene Wenger, Manager of Arsenal looks on during the Premier League match between Arsenal and AFC Bournemouth at Emirates Stadium on November 27, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
The year he finally gets revenge on Bayern Munich? (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Leicester City will be pleased, but must not underestimate Sevilla

Leicester got one of the best draws they could have hoped for in Sevilla, having avoided the toughest teams. However, Claudio Ranieri’s men cannot afford to be lax like they were against Porto. Leicester were thrashed 5-0 in that game, and it served as a stark reminder of just what surprises the Champions League can spring on teams that aren’t prepared.

Sevilla are flying high in La Liga this season, sitting in 3rd place. They are 7 points behind league leaders Real Madrid but only 1 point behind Barcelona. J

orge Sampaoli has been doing a fine job with the team after taking over from Unai Emery in the summer. Leicester, on the other hand, have been in terrible form in the league with what is one of the worst title defences in recent history. Ranieri’s men most definitely have a fight on their hands if they want to progress in the Champions League.

Can Ranieri outfox Guardiola? (Picture Courtesy - AFP/Getty Images)
Can Ranieri keep Leicester’s players focused on the prize? (Picture Courtesy – AFP/Getty Images)

Paris Saint-Germain will be cursing their luck

It is a similar tale to Arsenal’s, PSG have drawn Barcelona yet again, for the third time in five years. They have failed to knock Barcelona out on the previous two occasions, and will once again be the underdogs going into this tie.

PSG have only themselves to blame, after a shock draw against Ludogorets gifted Arsenal first place in the group. Unai Emery is still figuring out his team, and would have been hoping for an easier draw to give him more time.

Emery is no stranger to European competitions, having taken Sevilla to 3 consecutive Europa League victories during his time with the Spanish side. But even he can see that PSG will need to be at their absolute best to beat a Barcelona side that looks to have overcome their shaky start to the season.

Paris Saint-Germain's Spanish head coach Unai Emery (L) gestures next to Arsenal's French manager Arsene Wenger during the UEFA Champions League Group A football match between Paris-Saint-Germain vs Arsenal FC, on September 13, 2016 at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris. AFP PHOTO / FRANCK FIFE / AFP / FRANCK FIFE (Photo credit should read FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images)
Clearly worse off than his counter-part : Emery will be ruing PSG’s draw to Ludogorets.  FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images

Real Madrid’s luck this season continues

Real Madrid have been an unstoppable juggernaut under Zinedine Zidane this season, and luck has had a huge part to play in it. From dramatic winners or equalisers, to somewhat dubious penalties and now to the draw.

Madrid could have drawn one of many table-topping teams other than Napoli, but Zidane will have breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the draw. Maurizio Sarri’s Napoli side have been in decent form in the Serie A this season, but with Real Madrid only gaining momentum with each passing game it is highly unlikely they will cause any trouble for Los Blancos.

MADRID, SPAIN - NOVEMBER 06: Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane looks on before the Liga match between Real Madrid CF and Leganes on November 6, 2016 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
Blessed by the gods or just plain lucky? (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

Entertainment awaits

The draw has kicked up some very interesting ties. Watching how Leicester contend with the pressure and competition in a round of 16 tie will be hugely interesting, while Manchester City can show no complacency against Monaco who could very easily surprise them.

Guardiola must ensure that he has figured out his tactics with his side before the ties, and perhaps push on and try for an unlikely Champions League trophy in his first season.

Dortmund face a tricky tie against Benfica who are topping their domestic league this season, and have been quite impressive in the Champions League.

The slightly predictable draws of Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain might not be the best news for their fans, but for the neutral they are going to be hugely interesting matches.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Recommended

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.