Barcelona to play PSG in Champions League last 16 as Chelsea face tough task against Atletico Madrid

Lionel Messi’s Barcelona will face last season’s beaten finalists Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last 16 after the draw was made at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, on Monday.

The Barcelona vs PSG match-up was the standout tie from the draw, which also pitted defending champions Bayern Munich against Italians Lazio.

Barcelona and PSG played out perhaps the most famous last 16 tie in Champions League history back in 2017, when the Catalans came back to win the 6-5 on aggregate, having lost the first leg 4-0 in Paris. 

The second leg, which Barca won 6-1 at the Nou Camp, has gone down in Champions League folklore as 'La Remontada' (The Comeback). 

Barcelona pulled off one of the all-time great comebacks against PSG in 2017. © Reuters

Brazilian star Neymar was at the heart of that victory for Barcelona, but later that year would swap Spain for Paris, joining PSG in a world record deal. 

Even though the first leg won't take place until February, PSG will be hoping that Neymar is fit after he left the pitch on a stretcher toward the end of their 1-0 Ligue 1 defeat to Lyon on Sunday, having suffered a serious-looking ankle injury. 

PSG will be sweating on Neymar's fitness. © Reuters

Elsewhere, reigning champions Bayern Munich, who cruised through Group A unbeaten, picking up 16 points out of a possible 18, will meet Italians Lazio, who were runners-up behind Borussia Dortmund in Group F. 

The winners of the 2019 edition of the tournament, Liverpool, have been handed a tricky-looking tie against Germans RB Leipzig, who reached the semi-finals of last season's competition before being beaten by PSG. 

Group E winners Chelsea face a difficult tie against Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid, while 13-time winners Real Madrid's reward for topping Group B is a meeting with entertaining Italians Atalanta. 

Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus, who pipped Barcelona to top spot in Group G with a 3-0 win in the last round of games, will play Porto.   

Ronaldo will face a trip to his homeland in the last 16. © Reuters

The first legs will take place on February 16, 17, 23 and 24, with the second legs on March 9, 10, 16, 17.

The seeded teams (group winners) will play away for the first leg, before hosting the return matches at home.