FC Barcelona will be handed a rival in the knock-out stage of the Champions League this Thursday at 11.30, during the draw in Nyon. The Blaugrana finished first in their group which means their next rival in the competition will be a group runner up: Porto, Arsenal, Milan, Shakhtar Donestk or Galatasaray.
Group winners, like Barça, will play the first leg away from home, on the 12th or 13th or the 19th or 20th of February, and the return leg at home, on the 5th or 6th or 12th or 13th of March. Teams that were paired up in the same group and teams from the same football federation (country) cannot face each other in the knock out round.
The teams
Group champions: Paris Saint-Germain FC, FC Schalke 04, Málaga CF, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Bayern Munich, FC Barcelona and Manchester United FC.
Group runner ups: FC Porto, Arsenal FC, AC Milan, R. Madrid CF, FC Shakhtar Donetsk, Valencia CF, Celtic FC and Galatasaray AS.
Between the two groups there are nine European champions, despite the absence of the reigning champions, Chelsea. Málaga are the only debutants in the knock-out round.
