After finishing second in their group behind Roma, Chelsea progress to the knockout stages of Europe’s top club competition.
A 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid sees the Spanish giants eliminated to the Europa League, but with Chelsea unable to break the deadlock after 90 minutes, Roma claimed the top spot in Group C, beating Chelsea on head-to-head records.
Securing second spot in their group means that Chelsea will be drawn against a group winner in the Round of 16. Having already played Roma in the group stages, and with English teams leading four of the other seven groups, Chelsea’s next opponents will be one of Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Besiktas.
How have each of these sides fared in the group stages and in their respective leagues?
We take a look at our possible opponents below.
Barcelona
Undoubtedly one of the top teams in world football, the Catalonian side are a force to be reckoned with.
Unbeaten in their group and with only a single goal conceded (the fewest in the entire competition), Barcelona have started their 2017/2018 Champions League campaign in spectacular fashion. They will have been disappointed to have dropped points in their away games thus far, drawing twice and winning once away from home.
They are yet to lose a game in La Liga this season, sitting high at the top of the table with an outstanding goal difference of +29.
The likes of Lionel Messi, who has never scored against the Blues, Luis Suarez, Andres Iniesta and Gerard Pique are well-respected players renowned for their immense talent and experience in this competition.
In their outstanding current form, Barcelona would surely provide a stern test should they be drawn as Chelsea’s next opponent.
Paris Saint-Germain
After splashing the cash in the summer, French heavyweights PSG have set their sights on both domestic and European success this season.
Brazilian sensation Neymar and wonderkid Kylian Mbappe joined the Parisians for a combined £366 million, making them the two most expensive players in the world.
The two stars have helped PSG score 25 goals in their six group stage matches, the most of any side in the competition. They also boast the record for the most goals in one game out of all the group stage matches this season, with a 7-1 win over Celtic.
However, last weekend’s 2-1 loss at newly-promoted Strasbourg, which was followed by a 3-1 loss at Bayern Munich in midweek, has seen tension build around the future of head coach Unai Emery.
The Parisian giants will hope that these two disappointing results will not halt their progression to success in both Ligue 1 and the Champions League.
One of the best teams in Europe, PSG are a super club with super ambitions this season and Chelsea will be hoping to avoid the side which knocked them out of the Champions League in the 2015/2016 season.
Besiktas
Like Barcelona, Beşiktaş remained unbeaten in their Group, winning four and drawing two of their six matches.
Their form in the Turkish Süper Lig has been less impressive, with the side from Istanbul currently sitting in fourth spot after winning just half of their games thus far this season.
The Turkish giants strengthened their squad significantly in the summer, with additions such as Alvaro Negredo, Pepe, and Gary Medel adding vast quality and experience to their ranks.
Antonio Conte’s men will surely be hoping to face Beşiktaş when the fixtures are drawn on Monday night.
Who do you want Chelsea to draw on Monday night? Have your say in the poll below.
