The price for Arsenal and Manchester City’s failure to win their Champions League groups is a potential last-16 showdown with a true European heavyweight.
England’s four Champions League sides will discover their last-16 opponents in today’s draw at Uefa headquarters in Nyon.
One more goal in their 3-2 win at Bayern Munich in midweek, and City would have been toasting top spot in Group D and a more manageable draw.
Instead Manuel Pellegrini’s men could line up against any of the Spanish trio of Real Madrid, Barcelona, or Atletico Madrid, last year’s beaten finalists Borussia Dortmund or French champions Paris St Germain.
Arsenal face a much similar prospect, though cannot be drawn against Dortmund after sharing the same group.
The Emirates Stadium side could face title holders Bayern, Real or Atletico, Paris St Germain or Barcelona.
While City were left to rue one goal too few in midweek, Arsenal would have been eliminated had Napoli added a third in their 2-0 victory in Italy.
As it is, Arsene Wenger's men have reached the Champions League's knockout stages for the 14th consecutive season, but will have to do it the hard way to progress any further.
Two seeding pots
There are two seeding pots for the Champions League draw, with group winners and runners-up kept apart.
No team can play a club from their group or another side from their own country.
Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker remains unfazed by the prospect of facing one of Europe’s elite though.
“We got Bayern Munich last year and nearly went through,” he said. “If you want to achieve something in the Champions League, you have to take every opponent seriously and I think it is better for us when we have a good lot, when there is a draw that we can concentrate on.”
Group winners Manchester United and Chelsea should gain a more favourable draw. But either side could face AC Milan, the only Italian side left.
United’s other four potential opponents are Galatasaray, Olympiacos, Schalke and Zenit St Petersburg.
Chelsea cannot face Schalke after being drawn together in Group E, so they could take on Bayer Leverkusen, in the only change from the permutations facing United.
