Champions League draw: Tottenham and Chelsea handed tough ties
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Last-16 head-to-head records looks tasty
Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea were handed tough ties in the Champions League last-16 draw.
Spurs will take on last year’s beaten finalists Juventus, while the Blues will reignite a rivalry with Barcelona.
Elsewhere, both Manchester clubs will fancy their chances of reaching the quarter-finals. Manchester United have been paired with Sevilla, with Manchester City given the task of facing FC Basel.
Liverpool complete the English quintet with a tricky two-legged affair against Porto.
Here, the Coral News Team take an overview of those five games following the draw.
Chelsea v Barcelona
UCL record v Barcelona: W5, D5, L5
These two sides have history. The pair have met 12 times in the Champions League, with 10 of those matches coming in the knockout round.
Chelsea will be relying on their strong home record against Barcelona. The Blues have won four from six in the UCL at Stamford Bridge against the Spanish giants. At the Nou Camp, the West Londoners are winless in eight games in all competitions, conceding 19 goals.
In total, the Blues have advanced through to the next round in two of their five meetings in the knockout round against Barca.
Juventus v Tottenham Hotspur
UCL record v Juventus: First meeting
The Coral News Team think this meeting has the potential to be the tie of the round.
Tottenham have already seen off Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund this season. Against another European giant, you can be sure that Mauricio Pochettino’s side will be well up for the fight.
They can take heart from their home record against Italian sides, too. Spurs have never lost on home soil against an Italian team in European competition. In-fact they’re unbeaten in 12 of their 15 games against sides from Serie A.
Juventus will provide a hugely difficult test. But there’s no reason why the Lilywhites can’t spring another shock against one of Europe’s big names under the Wembley arch.
Liverpool v Porto
UCL record v Porto: W1, D1, L0
Liverpool have only faced Porto twice in the Champions League. Both of those meetings came during the 2007-2008 group stage. The Reds drew 1-1 in the away fixture before goals from Steven Gerrard, Peter Crouch and a Fernando Torres brace secured a 4-1 victory at Anfield.
The two clubs also met in the 2001 UEFA Cup. On that occasion, Liverpool advanced through in the quarter-final tie courtesy of a 2-0 home win after the first-leg finished 0-0.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have been destructive in the UCL so far this season and should have the quality to extend their good record against their Portuguese opponents.
Manchester City v FC Basel
UCL record v FC Basel: First meeting
On the face of it, Manchester City have been handed a plum tie against FC Basel. But the Swiss side have a history for frustrating English opponents.
RotBlau beat Manchester United in this season’s group stage and overcame Chelsea at home in the group stage of the 2013-14 competition. Tottenham Hotspur have also been held at St. Jakob Park in recent years.
Pep Guardiola’s men should see off their Swiss opponents, but the away leg could be tougher than it seems.
Sevilla v Manchester United
UCL record v Sevilla: First meeting
Incredibly, Manchester United and Sevilla have never faced each-other in the Champions League. This will be the first ever competitive meeting between the two clubs.
However, the Red Devils have precedent for struggling against Spanish clubs. In 50 European meetings with teams from Spain, United have won just thirteen times. That includes a record of just two wins in eighteen games in the Champions League.
Jose Mourinho will also have to take advantage of the home-leg of the tie. That’s because Man United have only won four of their last 14 UCL away matches.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
