Champions League and Europa knockout draws await British clubs... but will your team land EU beauty or Euro trash?
At a later date than first scheduled, seven British teams will finally find out their European fate after Christmas when the draws for the first knock-out rounds of the Champions League and Europa League are made.
Two weeks after the group stages were completed, UEFA will begin proceedings in Nyon on December 20 at 10.30am when they make the draw for the Champions League last 16.
With assistance from final ambassador and former Liverpool midfielder Steve McManaman, (who will be present at the draw in Switzerland) Manchester United, Arsenal and Celtic will be the first British clubs to find out their European fixtures.
Following at 1pm are the Europa League’s last 32 and last 16 draws where Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle and Tottenham could potentially face each other in the latter of the two.
So with the festive season in full swing, will the British clubs be handed Christmas crackers or Christmas turkeys? Here Sportsmail gives you the lowdown on the draws from both competitions.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Despite one notable absentee in holders Chelsea, the last 16 left in the Champions League contains plenty of pedigree with nine former winners of the tournament and just debutants Malaga who have never been at this stage of the competition before.
There are three British teams remaining with Manchester United, Arsenal and Celtic all managing to reach the knock-out stage. Chelsea finished third in their group to drop into the Europa League while Manchester City finished bottom to be eliminated from Europe outright.
Who's left?
Group winners (seeded):
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
Schalke (GER)
Malaga (SPA)
Borussia Dortmund (GER)
Juventus (ITA)
Bayern Munich (GER)
Barcelona (SPA)
Manchester United (ENG)
Group runners-up:
Porto (POR)
Arsenal (ENG)
AC Milan (ITA)
Real Madrid (SPA)
Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)
Valencia (SPA)
Celtic (SCO)
Galatasaray (TUR)
How does the last 16 draw work?
The eight group winners will be paired against the eight runners-up in two-legged ties. The restrictions are no teams can face a side they played earlier in the tournament or one from their own association.
The group winners will play away from home in the first leg on February 12/13 and 19/20 with the return fixtures contested on March 5/6 and 12/13
Brit focus:
MANCHESTER UNITED
Story so far:
Never seemed to get out of second gear in the group phase but rarely did they need to. Despite going behind in all but one of their matches, United won their first four games to qualify as group winners before slipping to two meaningless defeats.
Who they can face:
Porto, AC Milan, Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Valencia, Celtic.
Dream draw:
Despite it being a ‘Battle of Britain’, Celtic’s away form is an achilles heel and one United will fancy their chances of taking full advantage of at Old Trafford.
Fergie's nightmare:
To be the best you have to beat the best but United will not be happy with a draw that pits them against Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid at this stage.
ARSENAL
Story so far:
Despite domestic troubles it’s been a fairly convincing season so far in Europe. A home defeat at the hands of Schalke proved humbling but Arsenal never looked in serious trouble of progressing from the group stages on their way to a runners-up spot. There will be much tougher sides to face now though instead of Olympiacos and Montpellier.
Who they can face:
Paris Saint-Germain, Malaga, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Barcelona.
Dream draw:
Malaga have already shocked AC Milan to storm through as easy group winners but Arsenal’s experience at this stage of the competition would give them the mental edge against the side from which they signed Santi Cazorla.
Arsene's nightmare:
Barcelona is the obvious pick based on their scintillating form, but that’s before you mention that the Spanish club have eliminated Arsenal from the tournament three times going back to 2006.
CELTIC
Story so far: It’s been an extraordinary campaign for Celtic who have defeated Barcelona, ran the same side close at the Nou Camp and finally overcome their away day hoodoo by winning at Spartak Moscow. Everything else is a bonus from now on and that takes the pressure off the Scottish champions who progressed behind the Spanish outfit as runners-up. Along with Malaga, they are one of two sides left that had to come through a qualifying round before the group phase.
Who they can face: Paris-Saint Germain, Schalke, Malaga, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Manchester United.
Dream draw: The inexperience of Malaga will dangle a quarter-final carrot for Celtic, but fans would also relish the chance of taking on Manchester United.
Lennon's nightmare: Celtic have already proven they fear no one but even Neil Lennon won’t fancy a draw with Bayern Munich. Bizarrely, only Chelsea scored more goals than the runaway Bundesliga leaders’ total of 15 in the group stage.
EUROPA LEAGUE
All three Premier League clubs in Liverpool, Tottenham and Newcastle came through the Europa League group stage and are joined in the last 32 by Chelsea, who finished third in their Champions League group.
The Blues’ relatively strong record compared to other third-placed teams from the elite competition makes them a seeded team but there are plenty of big fish swimming around in the unseeded pot.
The draw for the last 16 immediately follows that for the last 32.
Who’s left?
Group winners/CL drop-outs:
Liverpool (ENG)
Viktoria Plzen (CZE)
Fenerbahce (TUR)
Bordeaux (FRA)
Steaua Bucharest (ROM)
Dnipro (UKR)
Genk (BEL)
Rubin Kazan (RUS)
Lyon (FRA)
Lazio (ITA)
Metalist (UKR)
Hannover (GER)
Chelsea (ENG)*
Cluj (ROM)*
Olympiacos (GRE)*
Benfica (POR)*
Runners-up/CL drop-outs:
Anzhi (RUS)
Atletico Madrid (SPA)
Borussia Monchengladbach (GER)
Newcastle (ENG)
Stuttgart (GER)
Napoli (ITA)
Basle (SWI)
Inter Milan (ITA)
Sparta Prague (CZE)
Tottenham (ENG)
Bayer Leverkusen (GER)
Levante (SPA)
Dynamo Kiev (UKR)*
Zenit (RUS)*
Ajax (HOL)*
BATE (BLR)*
* indicates team finished third in Champions League group stage.
How does the last 32 draw work?
The teams are split into two pots with the group winners and the four best performing Champions League sides seeded in pot one. They will be drawn in a two-legged tie against the runners-up and the remaining four Champions League teams from pot two.
Allocation for the Champions League teams is based on points collected after their involvement in their respective group stages, with the four best performing sides placed in the seeded pot with the Europa League group winners.
The restrictions are no side can play a team they faced in the Europa League group stage or one from their own association.
The unseeded teams will be drawn first and will host the first leg on February 14, with the return matches a week later.
How does the last 16 draw work?
The 16 ‘last 32 matches’ are allocated a match number and put into one pot. The first match number drawn at random will play at home first in a two-legged tie against the next match number drawn second. The process is repeated for the 14 remaining balls.
There are no restrictions at this stage thus any side can face teams they have already played in the group stage or one from their own association. The first legs will be played on March 7 with the return matches a week later.
Brit focus:
CHELSEA
Story so far:
The London side have wounds to lick after becoming the first Champions League holders to crash out of the group stage. The Blues scored more goals than anyone but defeats at Shakhtar Donetsk and Juventus proved fatal in their quest to reach the last 16.
Who they can face in the last 32:
Anzhi, Atletico Madrid, Borussia Monchengladbach, Stuttgart, Napoli, Basle, Inter Milan, Sparta Prague, Bayer Leverkusen, Levante, Dynamo Kiev, Zenit, Ajax, BATE.
Dream draw:
Rafael Benitez’s team won’t fancy the air miles to Belarus and BATE, but the side that defeated Bayern Munich in the Champions League won’t be expected to cause the Blues much of a test at Stamford Bridge.
Rafa's nightmare:
Atletico Madrid. If only to avoid a repeat of their 4-1 Super Cup drubbing from back in August when the Europa League holders ran rings around the Blues.
LIVERPOOL
Story so far:
The Reds came out on top in a very entertaining group that saw them finish level on 10 points with Anzhi and Young Boys. Defeats were felt at home to Udinese and at Anzhi but Brendan Rodgers’ side have often played with freedom and confidence.
Who they can face in the last 32:
Atletico Madrid, Borussia Monchengladbach, Stuttgart, Napoli, Basle, Inter Milan, Sparta Prague, Bayer Leverkusen, Levante, Dynamo Kiev, Zenit, Ajax, BATE.
Dream draw:
In an unseeded pot that holds many dangers, Liverpool will also be in favour of facing relatively unknown BATE instead of a side with strong European history – of which there are many.
Brendan's nightmare:
They may have seen off Udinese in the group stage, but there are much stronger Italian teams left in the competition including Inter Milan and Napoli – who have the tournament's top-scorer in Edinson Cavani.
NEWCASTLE
Story so far:
Newcastle’s first appearance in Europe for five years has been an enjoyable stint so far as the Toon reached the last 32 with a game to spare. Alan Pardew’s team only lost one match and that was at Bordeaux in their final group game – a result that still saw them through as runners-up behind the French outfit.
Who they can face in the last 32:
Viktoria Plzen, Fenerbahce, Steaua Bucharest, Dnipro, Genk, Rubin Kazan, Lyon, Lazio, Metalist, Hannover, Cluj, Olympiacos, Benfica.
Dream draw:
Having already seen off Club Bruges in the group, Newcastle will be content should they draw another Belgian side in Genk who are of similar quality to their compatriots.
Pards' nightmare:
Lazio are challenging for a Champions League spot in Serie A and had two very tight goalless contests with Tottenham in the group stages.
TOTTENHAM
Story so far:
Unbeaten in their group but in finishing runners-up to Lazio with four draws it was far from a comfortable ride. Only home wins against minnows Maribor and Panathinaikos on the final day saw Spurs through to the knockout stages of the competition for the first time since 2009.
Who they can face in the last 32:
Viktoria Plzen, Fenerbahce, Bordeaux, Steaua Bucharest, Dnipro, Genk, Rubin Kazan, Lyon, Metalist, Hannover, Cluj, Olympiacos, Benfica.
Dream draw:
Like Newcastle, a relatively short trip to Genk in Belgium would also be in favour of Spurs who have struggled on their European travels this term.
AVB's nightmare:
Never mind the fact that Dnipro would provide a very tricky challenge and a long trip to the Ukraine, former Spurs boss Juande Ramos manages them and would have something to prove at White Hart Lane.
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