It was third time lucky in the draw for the last 16 as City finally swerved the eight ball, drawing Dynamo Kiev instead of previous nemesis Barcelona. That in itself was a positive for Manuel Pellegrini and his squad, reaping the rewards of Tuesday night’s triumphant table-topping turnaround. As a consequence, City have got an excellent opportunity to progress beyond this hurdle for the first time, but it may not stop there. Not only could the Blues own draw be classified as somewhat favourable, the draw in its entirety could too.
The Draw
Gent v Wolfsburg
Roma v Real Madrid
Paris St-Germain v Chelsea
Arsenal v Barcelona
Juventus v Bayern Munich
PSV Eindhoven v Atletico Madrid
Benfica v Zenit St Petersburg
Dynamo Kiev v Manchester City
All eight ties are intriguing, for many differing reasons, but three aside from City’s really standout to me. The outcome of these ties could have an assortment of repercussions moving forward.
Gent vs. Wolfsburg: Without doubt each and every team that reaches this stage of the competition should be taken seriously, but Gent are certainly the smallest and arguably the weakest side in the last 16. Whilst Wolfsburg have undisputed quality, they remain outside of the real heavyweight category. Either would be a genuine test for whoever they are pitted against in the last eight, however it would be one the majority of sides would be willing to accept.
Benfica vs. Zenit: Following in a similar vein, another two of the lesser fancied sides meet in the last 16. Zenit provide an extra dimension given where they are based, and the travel time and the adverse weather conditions that can be associated with that. They were winners of arguably the weakest group, albeit convincingly, but once again would be a challenge many a side would gladly accept over Bayern or Barcelona. Benfica are not the force they were under Jorge Jesus and may struggle when paired with Europe’s elite.
Juventus vs. Bayern Munich: Juventus were beaten finalists last year, Bayern beaten semi-finalists. One of these sides will not reach the quarter-final this year. That is pretty significant. Two clubs that expect to win this competition, two clubs that habitually feature well into the spring. The fact that one of these teams won’t achieve that this time around should not be lost on any of the other 14 sides remaining in the competition. An opportunity to have an extended run through the rounds is there, just waiting for somebody to take it.
Now of course, the draw for the last eight could throw up anything, as could the actual last 16 ties themselves, but if City were to make it through, there would be the potential for a clash with someone other than the usual suspects. An excellent opportunity has arisen for the Club to make some real sound-waves throughout Europe. There shouldn’t be anything to fear for this team. Once the squad returns to its full complement, and the obvious quality begins to shine through again, they have a chance to mix it with the biggest and the best.
What must be done, first of all, is to ensure that business is taken care of against Dynamo Kiev – a tie that doesn’t come without its complications. If that happens as we all hope, we may well finally experience the thrills and spills of the Champions League’s latter stages. Buckle up folks, it’s about to get interesting.
