Champions League, Last 16: The glamour comes at a price. The English clubs tingled at the outcome of the Champions League draw but these ties could leave them numb in the end.

Of course the opposition, too, will be privately rueful and Milan would have preferred to meet Manchester United somewhere beyond the last 16. The competition itself can rejoice, however, over a series of evocative and prestigious games at the end of February.

Jose Mourinho had hungered most for an eminent contest, calling out for a clash with Barcelona. The football universe is compliant towards the Chelsea manager at the moment and he will make a sentimental return to Camp Nou, where he was assistant coach to first Bobby Robson and then Louis van Gaal between 1996 and 2000, but he is also sure to go there confident that his sharp team will pop Barcelona's inflated reputation.

The Premiership, sending four clubs to this phase of the Champions League for the first time, will still have its work cut out to guard its standing. Arsene Wenger has to count on Arsenal regaining form prior to the rematch with Bayern Munich, who eliminated them four seasons ago.

Where Liverpool are concerned, there was reflex relief at the news that they would be pitted against Bayer Leverkusen. Bayer stand eighth in a Bundesliga now in its winter break and they can therefore be seen as counterparts to an Anfield team muddling around in the middle of the Premiership. Even so the Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez knows what lessons to draw from the fact that Klaus Augenthaler's side topped their group ahead of Real Madrid.

Among the English clubs, however, it is Manchester United, contending with Milan in the European Cup for the first time since the defeats of 1958 and 1969, who face a clash that will define them. Alex Ferguson's team have improved since the doldrums of late summer but now have fixed dates by which they must complete a transformation. Carlo Ancelotti's side have scarcely been scintillating either but they are stalking the Serie A leaders. Milan are only four points behind Juventus, but will be wary when they travel to Turin today.

Milan last took the Champions League when Andriy Shevchenko converted the decisive penalty in the shoot-out win over Juventus in the 2003 final at Old Trafford. They will go back to that venue for the meeting with United in the belief that they are even better equipped nowadays.

Much will be made of Jaap Stam's possible appearance for the Serie A champions against the club that discarded him, but Ferguson will not let himself become preoccupied with that mini-melodrama. It is far more important that his current centre-backs are ready to deal with Shevchenko and that a way is found to balk Kaka, the playmaker who has expanded Milan's range since the 2003 triumph.

Though pacing themselves, Milan won Group F ahead of Barcelona. The taut passing of the Spanish team, managed by Frank Rijkaard, has given them a stranglehold on La Liga but in the second half of the season the depth of their resources will be put to the test unless their dealings in the transfer window are remarkably productive.

Though Ronaldinho vies with Shevchenko and Arsenal's Thierry Henry for the FIFA World player of the year award that will be announced on Monday, more and more may depend on the Brazilian. Henrik Larsson will be out for at least six months after knee surgery, Ludovic Giuly has had fitness trouble and there is a heavy responsibility on the impressive Samuel Eto'o. Deco, one of Mourinho's stars at Porto, and Xavi shine in midfield, but the manager may feel that Chelsea are facing Barcelona at a good time. He is not likely to shudder either over tales of his club's sorrows at Camp Nou in the Champions League quarter-final of 2000.

Arsenal must wait impatiently for the Bundesliga to reopen before they can make a proper study of Bayern Munich. In his first season there as coach, Felix Magath has stabilised the club. The squad contains Michael Ballack, Owen Hargreaves and the high-class poacher Roy Makaay as well as exciting youngsters such as Sebastian Schweinsteiger, but there is alarm over Oliver Kahn, one of whose proliferating mistakes cost them their home match with Juventus in the group stage. Should Jens Lehmann be back in Arsenal's line-up by then, he could relish the direct comparison with the man he has long sought to replace in the Germany team.

Bayer Leverkusen take up the Bundesliga cause against Liverpool. Several players such as Bernd Schneider and the Bulgarian Dimitar Berbatov linger from the 2002 Champions League final and their attackers also include the Brazilian Franca and the Ukrainian Andriy Voronin.

Liverpool and all the other English teams know the firepower they will have to match if they are not to be mown down in the last 16.

Guardian Service