The draw of the Europa League round of 16 is complete. The 32 teams from the previous round were cut down to half before being paired against one another by luck in an event at Nyon, Switzerland on Friday.
A number of juicy match-ups were made, with Arsenal being drawn against AC Milan But that isn’t the only interesting tie, as fans will also be treated to Marseille vs Athletic Bilbao, RB Leipzig vs Zenit, and CSKA Moskva vs Lyon.
The official result of the Round of 16 #UELdraw!
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) February 23, 2018
Most exciting tie? pic.twitter.com/t8txcYPtwg
Here are five things to watch for in the Europa League round of 16.
AC Milan vs Arsenal: who’ll get the upper hand in their head-to-head record?
This is probably the most exciting fixture, with these sides having met in the Champions League before. AC Milan and Arsenal have locked horns six times before but are tied for number of wins with two each (D2). This match-up means one side could get the upper hand in their head-to-head record.
Will the Rossoneri end their win-less run in England?
Gattuso’s men have their work cut out for them. The Gunners won’t be a walk in the park despite their inconsistency. There is also the fact that AC Milan is winless in their last six trips to England (D3, L3), having lost 3-0 when they last visited the north London outfit.
2012 - Arsenal last met AC Milan in European competition back in the 2011/12 Champions League, with Milan winning 4-0 at San Siro before Arsenal won 3-0 at the Emirates. All three of Arsenal's goals in that game came before half-time. Classic. pic.twitter.com/CVYt7HFDuE
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 23, 2018
BVB boss meets a familiar foe
Dortmund will be facing Salzburg. It will be a familiar opponent for BVB boss Peter Stöger, as he was the last manager to lead a team other than their last 16 opponent to the title in his home county, Austria.
Aritz Aduriz to punish Marseille again in Golden Boot pursuit?
When these two sides clashed in the Europa League round of 32 in 2015/16, Aritz Aduriz scored a wonder goal to eliminate the French club. He could do it again, as he fighting to become the tournament’s top scorer for a second time.
Aritz Aduriz
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) February 23, 2018
2015/16 10 goals = top scorer
2017/18 7 goals = ?#UELdraw pic.twitter.com/9v2ZjFUdSJ
Will we be seeing a repeat of the 1999/2000 season in Lazio vs Dynamo Kyiv?
When these two sides faced off in the 1999/2000 Champions League group stage, the Italian side won 2-1 at home and 1-0 away against the Ukrainian side. Their manager Simone Inzaghi was a player in the Eagles’ latter victory.