Champions League round of 16 draw:
Galatasaray v FC Schalke
Celtic v Juventus
Arsenal v Bayern Munich
Shakhtar Donetsk v Borussia Dortmund
AC Milan v Barcelona
Real Madrid v Manchester United
Valencia v Paris St Germain
FC Porto v Malaga
My picks to win are the teams in red.
That Manchester United vs Real Madrid is the tie of the last 16. That should be a great matchup. Both have the talent to be legitimate contenders to win the competition. Neither team firing all cylinders just yet. Could go either way.
I thought Malaga were going to fall apart after their difficult summer but I was wrong. They have been tremendous so far. I am going to take them over Porto.
I think PSG and Barcelona should beat Valencia and Barcelona comfortably.
I also expect Juventus to win their tie against Celtic. Celtic could make that an uneasy two legged affair for the Italians though. Celtic Park is a very difficult place to play. One of the most intimidating / overwhelming crowds in Europe. They give their team a real advantage at home. And Celtic have been very good defensively in the Champions League so they could make life uncomfortable for Juventus despite Juve being a much better side.
Shakhtar and Dortmund is a great tie. I was really impressed with Shakhtar in the group stages. I think they have a decent shot at beating Dortmund who I think are there for taking defensively. Dortmund do have great attacking talent though so I'd give them the edge here. It could be close though.
Schalke are doing well. Potent group of attackers. I'll take them over Galatassary. If they sell Huntelaar in the winter transfer window, this tie could become more hotly contested.
The Arsenal vs Bayern Munich match is one of my favourites. Maybe my second favourite tie after United and Madrid. There should be lots of good attacking football on display from both sides. Bayern have far more talent though and should win out.