Round of 16 draw: Barça to face AC Milan in Champions League second round

FC Barcelona have learned today who they will be facing in the last sixteen of the UEFA Champions League. And it’s AC Milan, the historic outfit with seven European titles to their name and who Barça will first face in the San Siro on February 20. The return leg at the Camp Nou will be on March 12.

One year later

The two sides met twice in the 2011-12 edition of the competition. In the groups stages, they drew 2-2 at the Camp Nou and then Barça won 3-2 in Italy. As fate would have it, they met again in the quarter finals. This time, FC Barcelona drew 0-0 in the first leg at the San Siro and then sealed qualification for the semi finals with a 3-1 win at the Camp Nou, thanks to a brace from Messi and another from Iniesta. It promises to be a particularly interesting meeting for Bojan Krkic, the former FCB youth player now on the books of the Milanese giants.

This is also a re-edition of the 1994 Champions League Final when AC Milan beat Johan Cruyff’s team by a resounding 4-0, and also of the semi final in 2005/06, which Barça won en route to their second continental title, ultimately won by beating Arsenal in Paris.

Thursday’s draw was only for the Round of 16 in the current edition of the tournament. There will be a separate draw for the quarter finals.