The Champions League makes its eagerly-awaited return next week with a high-quality quartet of last-16 encounters. European heavyweights Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are all in action.
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It has been almost 10 weeks since the Champions League draw, so Goal is here to remind you who is playing and when and where the games are taking place!
WHAT ARE THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LAST 16 MATCHES?
Reigning champions Real Madrid having been handed a tricky encounter with an exciting, free-scoring Napoli side, while Barcelona will once again play Paris Saint-Germain, who the Catalans most recently encountered on their way to winning the 2015 tournament.
Bayern Munich and Arsenal are also familiar foes, having met three times in the last 16 alone (2005, 2013 and 2014), with the Bavarians progressing on each occasion. The Gunners will also be looking to end a run of six successive exits at the last-16 stage.
Pep Guardiola's Manchester City and surprise Ligue 1 leaders Monaco have never met before, and nor have Leicester City and Porto, but either encounter could easily prove the tie of a round packed with fascinating fixtures.
Borussia Dortmund will certainly be worth watching in their last-16 meeting with Benfica, while Juventus' new formation will be put to the test by Porto and an out-of-sorts Atletico Madrid will be taking nothing for granted against an unpredictable Bayer Leverkusen.
WHEN ARE THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LAST 16 FIXTURES?
FIRST LEGS
Tuesday, February 14
Benfica v Borussia Dortmund 20:45CET
Paris Saint-Germain v Barcelona 20:45CET
Wednesday, February 15
Bayern Munich v Arsenal 20:45CET
Real Madrid v Napoli 20:45CET
Tuesday, February 21
Bayer Leverkusen v Atletico Madrid 20:45CET
Manchester City v Monaco 20:45CET
Wednesday, February 22
Porto v Juventus 20:45CET
Sevilla v Leicester City 20:45CET
Tuesday, March 7
Arsenal v Bayern Munich 20:45CET
Napoli v Real Madrid 20:45CET
Wednesday, March 8
Borussia Dortmund v Benfica 20:45CET
Barcelona v Paris Saint-Germain 20:45CET
Tuesday, March 14
Juventus v Porto 20:45CET
Leicester City v Sevilla 20:45CET
Wednesday, March 15
Atletico Madrid v Bayer Leverkusen 20:45CET
Monaco v Manchester City 20:45CET
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP STAGE FORM GUIDE
Europe's 'Big 5' leagues accounted for 14 of the 16 qualifiers, with all four of Spain's representatives reaching the knockout stage. England and Germany both have three clubs still in contention, while Italy, France and Portugal have two each.
Listed below are all of the qualifiers and their respective records in the group stage....
SEEDED SIDES:
Arsenal | England | 1st Group A | P6 W4 D2 L0 GF18 GA6 PTS14 | Eliminated in the round of 16 for the past six seasons, the Gunners felt that they were due a favourable draw after pipping Paris Saint-Germain to top spot in Group A. Instead, they got Bayern Munich. Again. Mesut Ozil lit up the group stage with his stunning solo goal against Ludogorets, underlining the depth of individual excellence at Arsene Wenger's disposal, but it's hard to get too excited about Arsenal's prospects given they failed to beat PSG either home or away and are also struggling to play with any great consistency in the Premier League.
Napoli | Italy | 1st Group B | P6 W3 D2 L1 GF11 GA8 PTS11 | After making a stirring start to their campaign, the loss of star summer signing Arkadiusz Milik to injury threatened to take its toll on the Partenopei, who took just one point from home games against Besiktas and Dynamo Kiev. However, the dynamic Dries Mertens saw them over the line, turning in a decisive display in the crucial win over Benfica at the Estadio da Luz. With the Belgian still in sensational goalscoring form, and Milik back within their ranks, Maurizio Sarri's side are quietly confident of causing champions Madrid all sorts of problems.
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Barcelona | Spain | 1st Group C | P6 W5 D0 L1 GF 20 GA 4 P15 | While there is no denying that the Blaugrana are not quite back to their brilliant best, their talismanic No.10 most certainly is, with Lionel Messi having struck 10 times in just five group-stage appearances. Yes, Barca were clearly rattled during their capitulation at Manchester City on matchday four but, in the end, Messi led them majestically into the knockout stage, albeit ably supported by assist king Neymar. Barca trail Real Madrid in La Liga but with Luis Suarez back among the goals, they look like major Champions League contenders once again. Much, though, could hinge on the fitness of If Andres Iniesta.
Atletico Madrid | Spain | 1st Group D | P6 W5 D0 L1 GF7 GA2 PTS15 | If there were any doubts over Atleti's ability to bounce back after yet more heartbreak at the hands of city rivals Real in last season's Champions League final, they were well and truly eviscerated during a deserved 1-0 win over group rivals Bayern at the Vicente Calderon. True, Diego Simeone's soldiers were beaten in the return battle in Bavaria but the only remotely significant thing that the Rojiblancos lost that night was the perfect record that they had hoped to take with them into the last 16. Atleti are well off the pace in Spain this season but they should be able to battle their way past Leverkusen.
Monaco | France | 1st Group E | P6 W3 D2 L1 GF9 GA7 PTS 11 | While it was always thought that a side with an exciting crop of youngsters would win Group E, it was assumed that Tottenham would be the victors. However, it was Monaco who ensured that they would be among the top seeds in the knockout stage - and with a game to spare, too, thanks to the completion of a home-and-away double over Spurs. Little was expected of Leonardo Jardim's men after a dismal Europa League campaign last season but the Ligue 1 leaders, who are spearheaded by a revitalised Radamel Falcao, will be confident of upsetting another English side in the shape of Manchester City.
Borussia Dortmund | Germany | 1st Group F | P6 W4 D2 L0 GF21 GA9 PTS14 | They may not be the most defensively solid side in the world but BVB are arguably the most fun side left in the tournament. Certainly, their 8-4 win over Legia Warsaw was as exciting as it was historic. Thomas Tuchel's men clearly have their weaknesses but with the fit-again Marco Reus lining up alongside the electric duo of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ousmane Dembele, Dortmund have an attack capable of ripping any back-line to bits, as they proved so dramatically in the closing stages of their draw with Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.
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Leicester City | England | 1st Group G | P6 W4 D1 L1 GF7 GA6 PTS13 | The Foxes may be floundering domestically but they are presently writing another fairytale, this time in Europe. There is no denying that the draw was kind to Claudio Ranieri's men but few could have predicted just how comfortably they would cope with the Champions League, winning their group with a game to spare - and by conceding just one goal before the collapse at Porto. However, Sevilla represent a formidable foe for a side presently struggling to not only score goals in the Premier League but also keep them out.
Juventus | Italy | 1st Group H | P6 W4 D2 L0 GF11 GA2 PTS14 | The merits of finishing first have been cast into doubt this season but perhaps the Bianconeri needed to take top spot in Group H purely for psychological reasons. Juve spent an awful lot of money on Gonzalo Higuain during the summer and he, just like the rest of the side, took a while to find his best form. However, the €90 million signing is now firing on all cylinders in Serie A, while the likes of Mario Mandzukic, Juan Cuadrado and Miralem Pjanic have benefited enormously from Massimiliano Allegri's bold decision to switch to a 4-2-3-1 formation that might just help the Old Lady end her 21-year wait for Champions League glory.
UNSEEDED SIDES:
Paris Saint-Germain | France | 2nd Group A | P6 W3 D3 L0 GF 13 GA 7 PTS 12 | A side perhaps personified by their principal striker, Edinson Cavani. Expensive, sometimes effective but always likely to let you down when it matters most. PSG did most of the hard work in working themselves into top spot after matchday five only to then gift it to Arsenal by drawing at home to Ludogorets. The €40m acquisiton of Julian Draxler looks to be already paying off but, at this point, they look weaker than last season, as evidenced by the fact that they currently trail Monaco in Ligue 1.
Benfica | Portugal | 2nd Group B | P6 W2 D2 L2 GF10 GA10 PTS8 | The Eagles will be happy to be through to the knockout stage but they could have progressed as group winners. Instead they allowed Napoli do so, with the Italians completing a home-and-away double over Benfica who threw away a three-goal advantage in their draw at Besiktas in the previous round, suggesting that the Portuguese champions might not be mentally strong enough to repeat last year's run to the Champions League quarter-finals. Furthermore, the sale of Goncalo Guedes, who had netted twice in the group stage, has significantly weakened their attack.
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Manchester City | England | 2nd Group C | P6 W2 D3 L1 GF12 GA10 PTS9 | Far, far too much was read into City's rousing victory over Barcelona on matchday four but then again, it was hard not to have been left intoxicated by the Catalans' capitulation under the same kind of intense pressing that they have so often applied to others. Also, while City are clearly a work in progress under new boss Pep Guardiola, as Premier League results have proven, they boast an awesome attack that has only been further strengthened by the arrival of the exciting Gabriel Jesus.
Bayern Munich | Germany | 2nd Group D | P6 W4 D0 L2 GF14 GA6 P12 | There may be nothing unduly worrying about losing away to Atletico Madrid but the Bavarians' shock loss at Rostov suggested that something is not quite right with the German champions, who aren't even dominating the Bundesliga with their customary swagger. Still, Carlo Ancelotti will obviously need more time to shape his side – and, in particular, work out where to play Thomas Muller - but eliminating Arsenal would remind everyone that Bayern remain a major force.
Bayer Leverkusen | Germany | 2nd Group E | P6 W2 D4 L0 GF8 GA4 P10 | Booked their place in the last 16 with a game to spare - in spite of the fact that they drew their first three outings in Group E. A fully deserved Wembley victory over Tottenham proved decisive, with the industrious yet talented Kevin Kampl the match-winner. However, Leverkusen's domestic form is patchy and their Champions League hopes have been rocked by the loss of set-piece specialist Hakan Calhanoglu to suspension for the rest of the season.
Real Madrid | Spain | 2nd Group F | P6 W3 D3 L0 GF16 GA10 PTS12 | Like Cristiano Ronaldo, the reigning champions have yet to hit the heights of last season, blowing top spot in their group after squandering a two-goal lead against Dortmund on matchday six. Of course, nobody will want to face a side currently sitting top of La Liga but there are legitimate doubts over just how strong Real really are and whether an intense workload, which has been further complicated by the postponement of last weekend's meeting with Celta, could ultimately take its toll. Zinedine Zidane's men have lost their air of invincibility and will be approaching a last-16 meeting with the utmost caution.
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Porto | Portugal | 2nd Group G | P6 W3 D2 L1 GF9 GA3 PTS11 | A place in the last 16 has to be considered progress for a club that bowed out in the group stage last season but, Andre Silva aside, there was very little to get excited about from a Porto perspective until they destroyed the already qualified Leicester at the Dragao. Still, the aforementioned Silva stepped when they were in trouble and the 21-year-old striker will certainly have to do so again in their daunting tie with Juventus if they're to reach the quarters.
Sevilla | Spain | 2nd Group H | P6 W3 D2 L1 GF7 GA3 PTS11 | The Andalusians will no doubt be disappointed that they did not progress as group winners, given they were a goal up on matchday five against principal qualification rivals Juventus, but there were mitigating circumstances, namely Franco Vazquez's wholly avoidable first-half dismissal. Sevilla may not have the resources of the other Spanish sides in the draw but, on their day, last season's Europa League winners are capable of beating anyone, thanks in no small part to the industry and precise passing of Steven N'Zonzi.
WHO IS THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TOP SCORER?
Lionel Messi went agonisingly close to equalling Cristiano Ronaldo's record for goals scored during a single group stage (11).
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That was in spite of the fact that the Argentine attacker actually played one game fewer than the Portuguese when he netted 11 times in six outings last season, with Messi having missed Barcelona's trip to Borussia Monchengladbach on matchday two through injury.
One can be sure that Messi will now have his eyes on Ronaldo's record for an entire Champions League campaign, though he still has plenty of work to do to equal the staggering 17 strikes Ronaldo managed during Real Madrid's triumph in 2013-14.
Top Goalscorers 2016-17 Champions League
1. Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 10 Goals | 450 Mins Played
2. Edinson Cavani | PSG | 6 Goals | 540 Mins Played
3. Robert Lewandowski | Bayern Munich| 5 Goals | 530 Mins Played
=4. Arda Turan | Barcelona | 4 Goals | 146 Mins Played
=4. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | Borussia Dortmund | 4 Goals | 380 Mins Played
=4. Dries Mertens | Napoli | 4 Goals | 391 Mins Played
=4. Riyad Mahrez | Leicester City | 4 Goals | 417 Mins Played
=4. Karim Benzema | Real Madrid | 4 Goals | 419 Mins Played
=4. Mesut Ozil | Arsenal | 4 Goals | 519 Mins Played
=4. Andre Silva | Porto | 4 Goals | 528 Mins Played
WHO HAS THE MOST ASSISTS IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE?
Barcelona forward Neymar leads the way, having created a remarkable seven goals in the group stage. As a result, the brilliant Brazilian needs just one more assist to break the all-time record for a single Champions League season, which he presently shares with Xavi, Mesut Ozil and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Top Assist-Makers 2016-17 Champions League
1. Neymar | Barcelona | 7 Assists Mins Played
=2. Ousmane Dembele | Borussia Dortmund | 4 Assists Mins Played
=2. Eduardo Salvio | Benfica | 4 Assists Mins Played
=2. Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid | 4 Assists Mins Played
=5. Dries Mertens | Napoli | 3 Assists Mins Played
=5. David Alaba | Bayern Munich | 3 Assists Mins Played
=5. Luis Suarez | Barcelona | 3 Assists Mins Played
=5. Andriy Yarmolenko | Dynamo Kiev | 3 Assists Mins Played
WHO HAS THE BEST ATTACK AND DEFENCE IN UCL?
Borussia Dortmund's dramatic 2-2 draw at Real Madrid on matchday six was significant for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the BVB late show saw the Germans pip their hosts to top spot in Group F.
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Secondly, Dortmund's last-gasp double also saw them take their 2016-17 tally to 21, thus breaking the record for goals scored in the group stage. Interestingly, Barcelona had only matched the 20-goal mark the evening before!
Best Attacks 2016-17 Champions League
1. Borussia Dortmund | 21 Goals
2. Barcelona | 20 Goals
3. Arsenal | 18 Goals
4. Real Madrid | 16 Goals
5. Bayern Munich | 14 Goals
Turning our attention to other end of the field, Juventus and Atletico Madrid are the sides with the best defensive records, with both having conceded just two goals so far.
Best Defences 2016-17 Champions League
=1. Juventus | 2 Goals Conceded
=1. Atletico Madrid | 2 Goals Conceded
=3. Porto | 3 Goals Conceded
=3. Sevilla | 3 Goals Conceded
=5. Bayern Leverkusen | 4 Goals Conceded
=5. Barcelona | 4 Goals Conceded
WHEN IS THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTER-FINAL DRAW?
The draw for the last eight will take place on March 17. The quarter-final first legs will take place on April 11 and 12, with the return fixtures to follow a week later.
The semi-final match-ups will be decided on April 21, with the first legs pencilled in for May 2 and 3 and the second legs on May 9 and 10.
This year's final, meanwhile, will be staged at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday, June 3 at 20:45CET.