The Champions League knockout phase will have the 2010 final rematch as main dish

Barcelona versus Arsenal is the other rematch from last year's quarter-finals that will make the crowd vibrate in the round of 16.

Is it really necessary to explain why the UEFA Champions League is the most prestigious club competition that exists in the World? Can't we just refer to the facts by looking at the round of 16 and the top class games that it will bring? The draw that took place on Friday at the FIFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland paired games that have become classics in recent editions, such as Barcelona from Spain versus Arsenal from England or Real Madrid from Spain against Lyon from France. And it also faced the reedit from last season's final between Inter from Italy and Bayer Munich from Germany.

The knockout phase will begin on February 15th when Milan from Italy receives Tottenham from England, and Schalke 04 from Germany travels to Spain to play against Valencia. The rematch will be held on March 9.

The round of 16 will continue on February 16th with Roma from Italy versus Shakthar from Ukraine, as well as the rematch from the 2006 final and 2010 semifinal between Arsenal from England and Barcelona from Spain at the Emirates Stadium in London. The second game of the series will be played on March 8.

February 22nd will pair Real Madrid and Lyon, along with Copenhagen from Denmark versus Chelsea from England. On March 16 the Spanish team will return the visit to the French club while the Danish squad travels to Stamford Bridge.

And last but not least the so awaited rematch between Inter and Bayer will be played on February 23 at the Guiseppe Meazza, Italy and on March 15 at the Allianz Arena, Munich. On the same match days Manchester United from England will visit Marseille from France first, and the French will return the visit after.

Some interesting facts are that Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho will have a double challenge: make his team ad vance to the next round that has been so resisted to them, as Real Madrid has a streak of 6-seasons without reaching the quarter-finals. And Mourinho will also try to win his third Champions League trophy with a different team. Let's remember that he did it first with Porto from Portugal in 2004 and with Inter this past season.

Real Madrid is winless after six games against Lyon. Last season the Spanish team felt victim to them in the knockout phase, after losing 1-0 in their visit to Gerland Stadium and tying 1-1 in the Santiago Bernabeu. And if we go back to the 2005-06 and 2006-07 Champions League group stage Real Madrid suffered two defeats at France, and were unable to take their revenge at home, where they tied both times.

The 2010 Final rematch between Inter and Bayer will not have Mourinho in the defending champion's bench spicing things up with personality, but this two-game series won't need him to fire up the German team's desire for reveng e.

Former Liverpool coach Rafael Benitez came to the city of Milan to replace Mourinho after his departure to Madrid. Benitez already knows how winning a Champions League title feels like, as he did it with Liverpool in the 2005 Final. What he doesn't know is if he will be in charge for that game, because Inter President Massimo Moratti is not happy with his team's situation in the local league, where they occupy the seventh seat in the standings with 23 points, 13 points away from the leader and archrival Milan.

Coach Arsene Wegner youngsters from Arsenal will want to wash their face after the resounding 4-1 loss suffered at the Camp Nou in last season's quarter-finals, for a 6-3 in the aggregate for Barcelona. In front they will have a more matured team that his year already defeated Real Madrid 5-0 with a brilliant exhibition of top class football, and whose players made a public commitment with their fans of reaching the 2011 Final at Wembley, Lon don.

Everything is ready to find out who will make it into Europe's top eight, and revenge is in the air.

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