The Draw for the Last 16 of the UEFA Champions League

​The draw for the last 16 of this season's Champions League has been made at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, throwing together some of Europe's biggest teams as the final in Berlin edges ever nearer.

The 8 seeded group stage winners were paired with the 8 unseeded runners-up, though teams that qualified from the same group were kept apart. At this stage of the competition country protection is also still in force, meaning no two teams from the same national association could be drawn together.

Arguably, the tie of the round sees Manchester City clash with Barcelona for the second year in a row, with Chelsea and French heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain also meeting in a replay of last season's quarter final clash.

Arsenal have been handed a more favourable tie against Monaco, while holders Real Madrid, the only team to finish the group stage with a 100% winning record, will now face Schalke.

The draw in full is as follows:

Paris Saint-Germain vs Chelsea

Manchester City vs Barcelona

Bayer Leverkusen vs Atletico Madrid

Juventus vs Borussia Dortmund

Schalke vs Real Madrid

Shakhtar Donetsk vs Bayern Munich

Arsenal vs Monaco

Basel vs Porto

Seeded group winners will be away in the first leg and at home for the second. The first of the two legs will be played on 17/18th and 24/25th February, with the return matches on 10/11th and 17/18th March.

Dortmund not 'determined enough' in defeat, says Jurgen Klopp

Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp criticised his team for not playing "determined enough" as their Bundesliga struggles continued in a 1-0 loss at Hertha Berlin on Saturday.

Dortmund endured a difficult half that saw Julian Schieber score for Hertha and Henrikh Mkhitaryan lost to a thigh injury.

"A first half like that shouldn't have happened," Klopp said. "We weren't determined enough, and that in a game where so much was a stake."

Dortmund, who failed to put a shot on target until the 70th minute, dropped into relegation playoff spot in 16th place with the loss.

Klopp's men have two chances to move up the table -- at home against Wolfsburg on Wednesday and a trip to Weder Bremen on Saturday -- before the Bundesliga's five-week winter break.

"We have another two games this year to dramatically improve our situation for the second half of the season. That's our mission now."

BVB were coming off a draw in the Champions League that allowed them to finish top of their group, but their domestic form has been a different story. They fell to a ninth defeat in their past 15 games.

"We really have to start picking up three points away from home again," defender Marcel Schmelzer said. "We always do a first step, like against Gladbach or Hoffenheim, but then screw it up again.

"It's a shame for the team and the fans. We really need to start getting results again."

UEFA coefficient: Schalke04 move up into Europe’s elite

Qualification to the last 16 of the Champions League has given Schalke 04 both confidence for their upcoming games and a boost up the UEFA Coefficient rankings.

The win against the Slovenian Champions means that the Royal Blues have overtaken Arsenal and FC Porto in the European Club rankings and now sit in seventh place with a coefficient of 109.254 points. Only Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Benfica and Atletico Madrid are ahead of Schalke 04.

Their current position is a result of the Royal Blues’ continuing success in the Champions League. In the 2010/2011 season, the team, which included Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Raul, reached the semi-finals of the Champions League after some memorable nights of European football. A year later, S04 reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League as winners of the DFB Cup. In both of the following two seasons, the Royal Blues reached the group stage of the Champions League and qualified for the last 16 on both occasions, as they have done this season.

The club coefficient is determined by the amount of points that have been collected over the past five years, plus 20% of the club’s association in the same period (33% before 2009). The rankings will be produced after each round of the European competitions and are used to determine which pots each club will be in for the European draws.  

Philipp Lahm Praises Marco Reus Amid Speculation Of A Move To Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm has heaped praise on Borussia Dortmund’s Marco Reus, fuelling speculation that he may make the switch to the Bundesliga leaders in the summer.

Reus has been heavily linked with a move away from the club, with the likes of Bayern, Chelsea and Real Madrid all interested in acquiring the player’s signature.

Now Lahm has spoken out about the winger’s abilities and has claimed that he can improve any side, as he looks set to leave the club.

“I can’t say anything. I can only say he’s an excellent player who, without injury, would become a champion," said Lahm.

“A player like Reus will strengthen any team in the world”.

The 25-year-old is now a hot property around Europe and his €25 million release clause is expected to be triggered when the transfer market opens at the end of the season.

Dortmund have already sold a number of their high-profile stars to their Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich, including the departure of Robert Lewandowski, which has made them favourites to sign Reus.

However, Dortmund are also currently struggling in the German league this season and find themselves bottom of the table, with just three wins from 13 matches.

Despite their poor form, Lahm admitted that he has no advice to offer his rivals, due to the fact he has never been in a relegation battle.

“Advice? I can’t advise them anything because I luckily lack that experience. I never was in this situation."

Manuel Neuer deserves for Ballon d'Or 2014

He's already the undisputed No1 custodian on the planet, but soon FC Bayern München's Manuel Neuer could officially be crowned the world's best footballer - period. No goalkeeper has ever won the FIFA Ballon d'Or in its current guise, but Bundesliga Malaysia outlines exactly why 'Supermanu' deserves to buck the trend...

Inpenetrable aura

Neuer's place on the three-man shortlist to lift football's ultimate individual prize is no fluke. Of all the goalkeepers with over 100 appearances under their belts in the Bundesliga's decorated history, the former FC Schalke 04 stopper is the only one to have conceded fewer goals (216) than appearances made (264). Fact.

Forever raising the bar

The 28-year-old World Cup winner doesn't make many blunders either - he hasn't made one for 33 league matches - but on the rare occasion he does, the look of detestation on his face says it all. "I know I can make mistakes," he told The FIFA Weekly. "The main thing is that I make sure I keep the bar high."

Sweeper keeper

It's that self-same will to improve that has seen the Gelsenkirchen native revolutionise the very definition of football's last line of defence. Indeed, for some, the image of the Germany No1 racing out of his own box to foil Algeria's Islam Slimani in the last 16 of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil is one of the enduring images of the finals.

Moves that matter

Unlike any of his predecessors or contemporaries, Neuer also boasts technical ability most wannabe outfield players can only dream of. Be it with his hands, feet, chest or head, there is scarcely a pass Bayern's inimitable goalkeeper-turned-libero cannot make. Just search 'Manuel Neuer' on YouTube. Seeing is believing.

One of a kind

Of course, none of those silky skills would add up to much had he not perfected the bread and butter art of shot-stopping in the first place. There have been inevitable comparisons with Bayern legend Oliver Kahn in that department, but forget the similitude. Neuer might just be the greatest, idiosyncratic talent the game has ever seen.

Manchester City will join for Reus scramble

Bayern Munich sparked Europe-wide interest in the Germany forward by revealing a buy-out clause in his contract with Borussia Dortmund, and the Blues are preparing their next move. Real Madrid and Manchester City also race for Marco Reus. 

PLATINI AND CRUYFF BACK GERMAN 2014 BALLON D’OR WINNER

UEFA president Michel Platini and Dutch footballing icon Johann Cruyff have become the latest in a growing list of world football heavyweights to back a German player to win the 2014 FIFA Ballon d’Or.“There are lots of players who would deserve to win the award,” 

Platini, a 59-year-old former France international, as saying “But in my opinion, in a World Cup year the prize should go to a World Cup winner.”

Cruyff: 'Neuer is extraordinary'

Cruyff was quoted as saying: “I would vote for a German player in the Ballon d’Or ballot. [Philipp] Lahm perhaps isn’t as noticeable but he can play in almost any position. He has been outstanding. [Manuel] Neuer is an extraordinary goalkeeper, who would deserve to win it too.”

The duo’s support for a German player comes just days after current Manchester United FC and former FC Bayern München coach Louis Van Gaal made similar comments, telling MUTV: “I hope it shall be a German player because they deserve it.”

Bundesliga dominates FIFA FIFPro World XI shortlist

Lahm and Neuer have both already been nominated for the FIFA FIFPro World XI 2014, alongside compatriots Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng, as well as FC Bayern team-mate David Alaba. 

The midfield contenders will be announced on Friday 28 November and the strikers on Monday 1 December as part of the complete 55-man shortlist, with the final 11 to be revealed at the FIFA Ballon d’Or Gala on 12 January 2015.