Reaction to the CL Draw

Frank Rijkaard's Barcelona are sitting pretty this morning, after learning that their path to reaching the Champions League Semi-Finals is obscured only by Benfica, surely the weakest team to reach the last 16 this season. Should the Catalan giants overcome the Portuguese champions they might well face a stiffer test in the semi-finals, where they will meet either Lyon or AC Milan. These two sides have both shown admirable form in the competition thus far and will undoubtedly provide a fascinating showdown later this month.

Elsewhere, the draw rekindled a relationship severed as recently as this summer, bringing Patrick Vieira back to Highbury for the first time since his £13.6 million move to Juventus. The Gunners have already overcome one heavyweight of this division so far but will need a healthy lead to take with them to the Stadio Delle Alpi, if they are to progress here.

Finally Villarreal will no doubt be delighted to have been drawn away first. They will face either Inter or Ajax, neither of whom will relish a trip to El Madrigal; the home side are now unbeaten there in their last eight games.