Arsenal gets Bayern again

Arsenal gets Bayern again

December 13, 2016
Champions League
Champions League

ZURICH - Arsenal will have another chance to beat Bayern Munich in a Champions League knockout tie after the sides were paired yet again in the round of 16 following Monday’s draw.

The teams met at the same stage in 2005, 2013 and 2014 with the German champion winning on all three occasions - 3-2 on aggregate in 2005, on away goals after a 3-3 draw in 2013 and 3-1 in 2014.

Paris St Germain will also try to break a jinx when it faces Spanish champion Barcelona, which knocked it out in the quarterfinals in 2013 and 2014.

Holder Real Madrid, which like Bayern finished as runner-up in its group and will therefore play the first leg at home, was given a tricky clash with Serie A side Napoli.

The draw also produced a potential grudge match as it pitted Bayer Leverkusen against Atletico Madrid, whose respective coaches Roger Schmidt and Diego Simeone were involved in an ugly touchline spat when the sides met two seasons ago.

On that occasion, Atletico went through on penalties after a 1-1 aggregate draw.

Arsenal may feel this could be its best chance to beat Bayern, whose domestic and European form has not been as dominant as in recent seasons.
“We are through to the knockout stage for the 14th consecutive season, which is testament to Arsene Wenger and the teams throughout that time,” club secretary David Miles said. “The fans will think we have got the rough end of the draw again - at some stage the tide has got to turn and we will beat them.”

Serie A champion Juventus was drawn against Porto in a repeat of the 1984 European Cup Winners’ Cup final which the Italian side won 2-1.

Sevilla and English champion Leicester City will meet for the first time as will Manchester City and AS Monaco.

Benfica and Borussia Dortmund will renew their rivalry after a 52-year wait, the sides having previously met in the 1963-64 European Cup.

Europa LeagueEuropa League draw

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba could face his brother Florentin after the Jose Mourinho’s side was drawn against St Etienne in the Europa League round of 32, a tie which will also stir memories of the dark days of hooliganism in the 1970s.

The sides met in the old European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1977-78 but the first leg in St Etienne was marred by violence involving United supporters. The English side was kicked out of the competition by UEFA but was reinstated on appeal and ordered to play its home leg outside Manchester, choosing to stage the game in Plymouth in south-west England.

It won the match 2-0 to go through 3-1 on aggregate. Florentin Pogba, a Guinean international, is a defender for St Etienne although he has only been picked intermittently this season.

His brother Paul, who plays for France, joined United from Juventus in the close season for a world record fee.

Borussia Moenchengladbach and Fiorentina, two of the most familiar names in European club football, will meet for the first time.

AS Roma is involved in another high-profile match against Spain’s Villarreal. Israel’s Hapoel Beer Sheva was rewarded with a tie against Besiktas.Two of the other top ties pitted AZ Alkmaar against Olympique Lyonnais and PAOK against Schalke.


December 13, 2016
HIGHLIGHTS