Champions League and Europa League draw: Portuguese sides handed tough opponents

FC Porto will face Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League, while Benfica and Braga have been handed ties against Arsenal and AS Roma in their bid to continue their Europa League campaigns.

Porto knew they were set to get a difficult draw regardless of who they were paired with having only finished 2nd in their group, behind English giants Manchester City.

It meant Porto were guaranteed to draw one of the heavyweights of European football, with no discernible weak outfit present in pot 1 with the likes of PSG, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Real Madrid making up the seeded half of the draw.

It goes without saying that Juventus will prove a tough proposition for Porto, the Serie A giants having eased past Barcelona in their final group stage match to clinch 1st in their Champions League group, while talisman Cristiano Ronaldo has also been in typically inspired goalscoring form.

Porto will feel they have the capabilities to potentially cause an upset though. Having kept 5 clean sheets in 6 Champions League group stage games, Porto have proved incredibly resilient defensively, and their setup against Manchester City to clinch an impressive 0-0 draw at home proves that they can suppress even the most exciting of attacking sides.

Juventus have also proved susceptible to upsets this season, particularly if Cristiano Ronaldo is forced to miss out. The fitness of Ronaldo in February may therefore be critical in assessing Porto’s chances of causing a serious upset in the Champions League knockout stages.

Meanwhile, the Europa League draw also sparked much attention, leading to some highly intriguing match-ups, one in particular being Benfica versus Arsenal. In a clash between two clubs with proud histories to their name, the draw also set up a match between two sides who have been far from convincing in recent months - but none more so than Arsenal.

The Gunners, having just suffered a surprise 0-1 home defeat to Burnley, sit as low as 15th in the English Premier League, just 4 points above the relegation zone almost a third of the way through the current campaign.

It has been a shocking start domestically for the London outfit - though on the continental stage, they have been solid, winning all 6 of their group stage games, albeit in an incredibly favourable group containing Molde, Rapid Vienna and Dundalk. Anything less than 6 wins from 6 would have been underwhelming for a side harbouring serious ambitions of winning this competition.

Were this match taking place within the next couple of weeks, Benfica would surely fancy their chances, even if they have been incredibly susceptible defensively both in Europe and the league. However, as it is only due to take place in February, it is very difficult to predict the state that both sides will be in when the fixture comes around.

The third Portuguese side going into the hat was SC Braga - and they, like Benfica, were unseeded after only finishing 2nd in their group, behind Leicester City. As a result, they were always likely to be paired with a difficult team in their bid to reach the Europa League round of 16, and it is set to be a clash of Portuguese managers as Carlos Carvalhal takes on Paulo Fonseca’s AS Roma.

Roma will go into the game as relatively comfortable favourites, the Italian giants with the reputation and history that automatically gives them an advantage in the eyes of many, though Braga will still feel that they can cause Roma serious problems and put up a good fight to progress.

Rio Ave, for example, who have been unspectacular in the Primeira Liga this season, were just seconds away from knocking out AC Milan in the Europa League qualifiers, leading against the current Serie A league leaders in the 120th minute of the game before a cheap penalty gifted the Italians a lifeline, and after converting from the spot went on to win an epic penalty shoot-out to scrape into the group stage and break Rio Ave hearts.

Nevertheless, after Rio Ave managed to take AC Milan all the way, Braga, who are performing to a much higher standard than their compatriots so far this campaign, will believe that they have what it takes to come out on top against Roma, who are situated lower in the league standings than AC Milan currently are.

Much can change between now and February, but Braga know they have the capabilities to cause an upset, and will be hoping to pull off a minor upset by securing victory over one of their former managers.