Soccer

Mourinho to face old club Porto

Jose Mourinho will return to Porto with Chelsea in the last 16 of the Champions League

Fri Dec 15 2006 - 00:00

Jose Mourinho will return to Porto with Chelsea in the last 16 of the Champions League. Mourinho brilliantly led Porto to victory in the 2004 competition before leaving to become Chelsea manager.

He has yet to return to the final as Stamford Bridge boss, but the summer signings of Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack are an indication of Chelsea's determination to land European football's most valuable prize.

Chelsea, winners of Group A, travel to Portugal for the first leg against the Group G runners-up on either February 20th or 21st.

It is not the first time under Mourinho that Chelsea have faced Porto. The pair were drawn together in the group stages in 2004/05, with the Londoners losing in Portugal and winning at Stamford Bridge.

READ MORE

Liverpool, the 2005 winners, have been handed a tough draw against Spanish league leaders and defending European champions Barcelona.

The Group C winners travel to the Nou Camp for the first leg, before Barcelona visit Anfield a fortnight later.

Arsenal, bidding for a return to the final after losing out at the Stade de France to Barcelona last season, were paired with PSV Eindhoven.

All four English teams won their first-round groups, and hence Arsenal also travel away for the first leg to Holland before taking on the Dutch giants at the Emirates Stadium on either March 6th or 7th.

Manchester United, who last conquered Europe in 1999, are drawn to face French side Lille.

Celtic's reward for reaching the last 16 for the first time is a tie against AC Milan, the Italian powerhouse who are bidding for a seventh European Cup. Milan visit Parkhead for the first leg.

The highlight of the remaining ties is Real Madrid's clash against Bayern Munich, while Roma face Lyon and Inter Milan tackle Valencia.

Champions League draw

FC Porto v Chelsea
Celtic v AC Milan
PSV v Arsenal
Lille v Manchester Utd
Roma v Lyon
Barcelona v Liverpool
Real Madrid v Bayern Munich
Inter Milan v Valencia

First leg matches are due to be played on February 20th and 21st.  Second leg matches scheduled for March 6th and 7th.