UEFA Knockout Draw 2008/9

All eyes on tonight's games to complete the line up but..

The eight group-winners and eight runners-up of the group stage qualify for the second round. The clubs that finish this stage in third position in their group move into the third round of the current UEFA Cup. The clubs that finish this stage in fourth position in their group are eliminated.

The draw for the 2nd round takes the following rules into account:
a) Clubs from the same association must not be drawn against each other,
b) The winners and runners-up of the same group must not be drawn against each other,
c) The group winners must not be drawn against each other,
d) The runners up must not be drawn against each other,
e) The runners up must play the first leg at home.

Confirmed group winners

AS Roma
Panathinaikos
Barcelona
Liverpool
Man Utd
Juventus
Porto
Bayern Munich


Confirmed group runners up

Chelsea - Same country - can't play
Inter Milan
Sporting Lisbon
Atletico Madrid - Same group - can't play
Lyon
Villarreal
Arsenal - Same country - can't play
Real Madrid


The draw will be made on Friday 19th December 2008.

After this next 2nd round, all seedings and country protection is removed and it is a straight 'random' knockout.

From the 6 other possible condidates, 5 are tough games. In saying that, i have watched probably every team at some stage in this campaign and nothing i'm scared about. All the teams contain one or two players that cause a threat and the rest are nothing.

Lyon - Benzema, Juninho.
Bayern - Toni, Klose, Schweinsteiger
Madrid - Higuain and Sneijder (all the rest have been sh*t)
Juve - Del Pierro
Porto - no one
Villareal - Santi Carzola

You add that to Sporting or Inter where Sporting have Liedson and Inter are playing very unconvincingly then i'd say we should be confident no matter who we get and the harder the team is, the more likely we are to win, ie. we wont have mercy and be up for a massive test resulting in, according to recent history, a great performance.

Don't want Milan - only because we will be going to Italy for the final.

I'd take Lisbon or Bayern.

I want Real Madrid. Let's see what the 9-times European Champions are like against the 5-times European Champions.

I would like Inter. Just to see the Rafa - Mourinho feud again. Just messing.

Seriously though I dont really fear any of those teams. They're all capable of pulling of a shock but I just dont see a threat from them. Barcelona are the biggest threat to us (from outside the EPL) and we can't play them. Next I would say Juventus. They have been on stunning form in the CL. But if we did draw them I still wouldn't worry. I'm not being cocky or anything I just think we have beaten tougher teams with weaker sides in the past. And with the second leg at Anfield we are capable of changing any result!

If we played Juventus, Xabi Alonso can show his stuffs to Ranieri.

To be quite honest, I'm not very worried because i have confidence in the team in the European stage no matter who they played. Well, we beat defending champions Barcelone 2 seasons ago. We beat Inter Milan last season when they were unbeaten and we lost to Barnsley just before that.

I'm sure we can get to the final.

i think this time we will probably have to beat man u ... it simple law of averages, i dont think we have ever played them in the cl before, what a match that will be probably the quarter or semi finals....for this on i would like to avoid inter and madrid..............wher e tf are milan...ha ha

Well Lyon and Bayern looking like a bunch of kittens thus far. Commentator saying they both like to play an open game and pass from defence to offence, if he's right then our workhorses up front will have a field day should we draw them.

I want Madrid. Knocking out a powerhouse, Fernando getting some revenge from his time at Atletico and it'll probably be Juande Ramos' last game in charge

Yeah I agree, I'd love Real Madrid. Two true great clubs fighting it out with 14 european cups between them in Europe's premier competition. Sounds perfect.

The teams i would like to avoid:Inter,Sporting(portugese playing most frustrating football for us)
Teams i"d like to meet:Real,Villareal

I must admit i am not bothered about who we get because we will beat them anyway

But seriously i would quite like to play Juve though simply because of the whole Alonso saga, would be great for him to have a cracking game against them. Or Madrid because they are having a bad season.

The one team i am glad we wont get in the next round is Barca because Messi is in sh*t hot form this season.

Draw the harder teams now, get them ot the way means the final will be a walk in the park

I'd like to get sporting to be honest.
Not too fussed if we don't get them but i just don't want to get inter milan at this stage.

Dammit i thought the draw was this friday not next friday :

Well we wont be playing Porto in the next round as they beat Arsenal 2-0 to top the group.

Possibles:

Arsenal:   Juve, Munich, Barca, PAOK, Roma.
Chelsea:   PAOK, Barca, Munich, Porto, Juve.
United:    Inter, Real Madrid, Lyon, A.Madrid, Sporting.
Us:         Inter, Real Madrid, Lyon, Villareal, Sporting.

i don't think anyone of them will fancy playing us,we should be happy whoever we get.

We'll take anyone, I'm hoping for Inter, so we can stuff Moainehole again, or I'd love to play Madrid.

we're going to get Inter for sure. I can just see it now.

Bring on anyone. We'll beat anyone.

I predict Chelsea get Panathinaikos.

i dont care who we get as long as we play the liverpool way we should fear no one let them fear us!!!

can anyone tell me the name of carras bar in l/pool???

Possibles:

Arsenal:   Juve, Munich, Barca, PAOK, Roma.
Chelsea:   PAOK, Barca, Munich, Porto, Juve.
United:    Inter, Real Madrid, Lyon, A.Madrid, Sporting.
Us:         Inter, Real Madrid, Lyon, Villareal, Sporting.

PAOK =  

I still want Real Madrid, I have wanted them for a while but we kept missing out on them so maybe this will be the year. I think we will end up with Villareal when all is said and done.

I have a feeling the draw will pan out like

Liverpool vs Villarreal
Manure vs Sporting
Barca vs Arsenal
Juventus vs Lyon
Bayern vs  Chelsea
Pana vs Athletico
Porto vs Real Madrid
 

My prediction for the knock out draw

Arsenal  Vs Juve
Chelsea Vs Barca
United  Vs  Inter
Us        Vs  Lyon
Roma    Vs A.Madrid
Munich  Vs Sporting
Porto    Vs Villareal
PAOK    Vs real Madrid

I would back us over any of the teams we can face. Still i would rather avoid Madrid and Inter because they are going to be titanic games which will be close and will take alot of effort out of the players.

Hopefully one of the lesser teams like Villareal or Sporting will be easier for the lads and not require as much effort. Although in saying that none of the games will be easy by any stretch of the imagination.