Italian jobs beckon for English sides
The Gunners will face seven times champions AC Milan in the glamour tie of the round while Chelsea face a tricky test against Napoli.
Arsenal might have hoped for an easier task but manager Arsene Wenger has challenged his squad to maintain their momentum to give themselves every chance of knocking the Italian champions out.
Arsenal beat AC Milan 2-0 away at the same stage of the competition in 2008 as they progressed to the quarter-finals.
Wenger wants to make sure his team will arrive for the first leg at the San Siro on February 15 at the top of their game.
“It is a difficult draw, but an exciting one, and they could say exactly the same thing I suppose. It is a 50-50,” Wenger said.
“Ideally, it is a draw for one round later, but you take them when they happen.
“Everybody knows Milan, everybody knows Arsenal. We have been in the Champions League for many years and both sides play positive football.”
Wenger added: “Let’s make sure we continue to improve until February. Then we can take our chance with full power and belief. We have been up to the task every time in this competition so let’s make sure we are again.”
Arsenal club secretary David Miles conceded the Gunners would have preferred different opposition but is looking forward to the showdown.
“It’s probably the pick of the round,” said Arsenal club secretary David Miles. “There were probably other teams we would have preferred but the last time we played them in the knockout stage, in 07-08, we actually went through and won 2-0 in the San Siro.”
“We also knocked out, in fairly recent history, Roma and Inter Milan. It’s going to be tough. Everyone has earned the right to get to this stage but nevertheless, we’re confident and it’s going to be two great games.
“Having been on the rough end of Barcelona for two years running, it’s nice to know it couldn’t happen a third time. It’s a good draw for us.”
Milan were knocked out of last season’s competition at the last 16 stage by Tottenham.
Coach Massimiliano Allegri told Gazzetta dello Sport: “We know Arsenal, it’s a team that plays well.
“We will have to arrive in February in the best possible condition and without injuries.”
Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas, meanwhile, feels his side have been handed “one of the most difficult draws” after being paired with Italian side Napoli.
Napoli took four points off Manchester City in Group A to edge Roberto Mancini’s side out of the competition, and their forward pairing of Edinson Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi is one of the most feared in Europe.
Blues boss Villas-Boas knows all about the threat posed by Napoli from his time working under Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan.
“I think we have one of the most difficult draws, but whichever team you get in the last 16 will be a difficult team,” Villas-Boas said.
“Napoli is a club that represents the city and the city has great empathy with the club. It has a tremendous fan base and it is one of the most difficult and exciting games of the last 16, no doubt about it.
“They are a side that works collectively very well and [Napoli coach] Walter Mazzarri has always been a coach that organises his teams very well.
“They have been improving tremendously under his guidance and have been gaining the results that they want and they expect.
“They are fully motivated and they have a lot of talent coming through like [Marek] Hamsik and [Edinson] Cavani. They have a lot of talent throughout.
“We are looking forward to the games and hopefully we can prepare well and hopefully we can go through.”
Napoli are eager to prove they belong among the elite after making it through to the knockout stages for the first time.
“It’s not possible to say whether our tie is difficult or easy,” Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis said. “Chelsea is a very strong team, but so is Napoli. Of course other teams have been more fortunate than us but we are nevertheless happy with the draw.
“All eyes will be on this tie. It’s going to be very interesting. My players need to know how to dominate emotions, but I am certain they will bring out their best.”
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