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| Arsene Wenger's Arsenal have been drawn against Barcelon in the last-16 of the Champions League |
ARSENAL may have salvaged their Champions League hopes in heroic fashion, but today came the payback.
The Gunners were always vulnerable to a tough draw after losing three of their first four group games before winning their last two to finish second.
And yesterday's last-16 draw punished them in the most severe fashion by pairing them with the club everyone wanted to avoid - holders Barcelona.
If there was any consolation, it was that London rivals Chelsea, who finished top of their group, were paired with Paris St Germain, the strongest of the runner-ups.
But Manchester City finally got lucky. After losing to Barcelona in the first knockout round in the last two seasons they drew Dynamo Kiev, with the bonus of the away leg being played behind closed doors as punishment for previous crowd disturbances and racist behaviour among Dynamo supporters.
The Gunners will fear yet another last-16 exit with their past history against the Catalan maestros not inspiring confidence, although they have always been entertaining ties with 27 goals - 17 for Barca and 10 for Arsenal.
Barca eliminated Arsene Wenger's side in successive years in 2010 and 2011 - 6-3 and 5-2 on aggregate respectively - and denied the Gunners the trophy with two late goals in the 2006 final at the Stade de France. They also met in the group stages in 1999 when Arsenal managed a draw in the Nou Camp but lost 4-2 at home.
They will be long odds-against to reverse those results against opponents boasting two of the three Ballon d'Or nominees in Lionel Messi and Neymar.
Club secretary David Miles tried to put on a brave face last night when he said: "If you ask Arsenal fans, this is probably the tie we least wanted against Barcelona. The last few times we've played them they've always had the upper hand, so maybe this is the right time to turn the tables and beat them.
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| Olivier Giroud's hat-trick against Olympiakos put Arsenal through to the knockout stages |
"We have a few injured players, so if we can get those back and play them with a full-strength Arsenal side we've got some world-class players of our own and I'm hoping we'll put on a very good show in the two legs."
PSG are equally familiar opponents for Chelsea. This will be the third successive season they have been paired.
Chelsea won their quarter-final tie in 2014 but lost in the round of 16 last season, despite Zlatan Ibrahimovic's controversial red card leaving PSG to play with 10 men for much of the second leg at Stamford Bridge, which they won courtesy of former Chelsea defender David Luiz's header.
Despite Chelsea's struggles in the Premier League this season, PSG defender Thiago said: "It will be tougher this season than last year. We know the Chelsea players well and we know they will give everything to get past the last 16 - but so will we."
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| PSG knocked Chelsea out at the same stage of the competition last year |
City's tie against Kiev, managed by former Spurs striker Sergei Rebrov, represents a chance to get beyond the last 16 for the first time, although their fans are unhappy they will not be allowed to go to the game.
The match is the second of two the Ukrainian club have been ordered by UEFA to play in an empty stadium for the misbehaviour of supporters.
City fans have been similarly prevented from watching their team before, after CSKA Moscow were hit with a stadium closure last season. And it will only fuel their antipathy towards UEFA, whose anthem they have booed at recent European games.
King of the Kippax fanzine editor Dave Wallace said it was "farcical" and suggested the tie should be played at a neutral venue.
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| Manuel Pellegrini's Man City have had a kind draw with a tie against Dynamo Kiev |
A spokesman for the 1894 supporters group said: "City fans are penalised once again - however it could have been any innocent set of fans penalised here. UEFA has had its head in the sand for years dealing with racism at European stadiums. Banning innocent fans is not the answer."
Regardless of the empty terraces, City's director of football Txiki Begiristain warned of any complacency.
"It's never easy," he said. "They have shown they have a good side by beating Porto and drawing with Chelsea. It's going to be difficult for us but the most important thing is that we show we're improving in this competition and we'll fight to get to the quarters.
"They will want to show people they're strong, that they are fighting for something. They're in the last 16 so we know they are good. We are getting experience which is important. We are improving."
City's only previous meeting with Kiev came in the UEFA Cup's last 16 in 2011 and was memorable for the antics of a certain Mario Balotelli. After complaining of hayfever in the first leg, he was red-carded for a high kick in the return. City went out.
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