Kee: Shakhtar Donetsk has been a stalwart in European competitions in recent years, qualifying for the group stage in last four years and even reaching the quarter final in 2010/11 season. However, the German Giants are simply too much for the reigning Ukrainian Premier League Champion. Bayern Munich more than enough options for them with the likes of Arjen Robben, Thomas Muller, and Co. With David Alaba already back and Franck Ribery and Rafinha set to follow them, not many team can stop this juggernaut.

Winner: Bayern Munich
Agg. Score: 8-1

Fox: This could very well end up being the most one sided matchup of the round. You have to give Shakhtar credit for qualifying but they really don’t stand much of a chance against the machine that is the German National Team… uhhh i mean Bayern Munich. Bayern possess world class talent at each position, something that Shakhtar will be unable to deal with.

Winner: Bayern Munich
Agg. Score: 7-0

PSG vs. Chelsea

Kee: I know a lot of people, including my colleague Matt Fox, are looking forward to this clash of giants. However, I do not see this as an exciting matchup. PSG has been not as formidable as it has been, sitting on third place in Ligue 1. If your team is led by stars like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani, Marco Verratti, Thiago Silva, and David Luiz, you are expected to win the relatively weak competition. On the other hand, Chelsea has cemented itself as one of the top clubs in the world. Dominating the English Premier League, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Chelsea can go face-to-face with the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich. With the new addition of Juan Cuadrado to the team that already includes Diego Costa, Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas, and Nemanja Matic, the Blue Lions look as dangerous as they have ever been.

Winner: Chelsea
Agg. Score: 5-2

Fox: In what should one of the best matchups of the round, two of Europe’s biggest heavyweights clash in this matchup between reigning French champions Paris Saint German and Chelsea, who currently sit atop of the EPL. PSG boast a number of attacking options led by Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani, both of whom could cause major headaches for the Blues backline. Chelsea however are rounding into form quite nicely after opening up a 7 point lead atop the Premier League table, and as of yet show no signs of relinquishing their second largest lead of the season. Jose Mourinho has built himself a very well rounded squad led by the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Diego Costa, and Eden Hazard. Hazard should have a fun time toying with former teammate David Luiz and the Blues should see themselves through to the quarter finals.

Winner: Chelsea
Agg. Score: 3-1

FC Basel vs. Porto

Kee: Perhaps the weakest matchup in the Round of 16, two relative minnows go against each other for the ticket to the quarterfinals. FC Basel has dominated the Swiss League for the last decade, never finishing lower than third place while gathering seven titles. Shkelzen Gashi, top goal scorer in the Swiss League, leads the potent attack along with Marco Streller and wonderkid Breel Embolo. On the other hand, FC Porto had previous successes in this tournament, with the club lifting the trophy in ‘03-’04 season with Jose Mourinho, current Chelsea manager, controlling the team. Jackson Martinez has been a force to be reckoned with, as he has racked up 16 goals in the domestic league to lead the league by a mile.The back-four is one of more impressive ones in Europe, with quartet of Brazilians guarding the net. While neither team stands out, Porto has more talent overall to come out alive in this dogfight.

Winner: Porto
Agg. Score: 4-2

Fox: These two teams were perhaps the biggest “winners” of the draw for the round. Instead of having to go up against perennial powerhouses from bigger leagues, and who also have the luxury of bigger transfer budgets, they get to play each other. While this matchup won’t garner the same level of attention as say Chelsea-PSG or Man City-Barca, it should be a very competitive draw. Porto haven’t missed a beat this season, currently sitting in second place behind Benfica in the Portuguese league despite losing Eliaquim Mangala and Fernando to transfers to the blue side of Manchester. Basel on the other hand are continuing their dominance of the Swiss Super league, sitting atop the table and clear of the pack by 8 points. Ultimately I’m going to give the edge to Porto for the same reason my esteemed colleague Kee Min is. Their backline is significantly better than Basel’s which will be the difference.

Winner: Porto
Agg. Score: 2-1

Schalke 04 vs. Real Madrid

Kee: Schalke has been in an excellent form, going undefeated in last five games with three wins and a draw against the mighty Bayern in Bundesliga. Schalke has some firepower to offer up top, with Choupo-Moting and Huntelaar combining to score 16 goals this season.. Also, their manager, Roberto Di Matteo, has won the Champions League before with Chelsea. However, this matchup isn’t about Schalke. It’s about the Galacticos, Real Madrid, fresh off “La Decima.” Star-studded squad that includes Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Sergio Ramos, and much more incredible talents are sure to look to repeat as the champions of Europe for the first time in competition history. Anything less than the title would be considered a failure.

Winner: Real Madrid
Agg. Score: 9-1

Fox: Schalke have been having yet another good season under manager Roberto Di Matteo, and they should be applauded for that. They also boast some promising young talents in Julian Draxler and Maximilian Meyer. Unfortunately for them they’re going up against a Real side that simply has too much quality for them to handle. The Madridistas were able to capture la decima glory last year and as of now look like the odds on favorite to repeat. That’s bad news for Schalke.

Winner: Real Madrid
Agg. Score: 6-0

Man City vs. Barcelona

Kee: Should Man City panic? Already knocked out of the FA Cup, the Citizens dropped points against Hull City to fall seven points back from league leader Chelsea. Woeful season continues as their matchup against Barcelona approaching fast. However, the return of Yaya Toure from AFCON would be more than beneficial as City has yet to win a game without the big midfielder this season. Sergio Aguero, their top attacking option, has yet to find his form and the defense remains very questionable. However, they did surprise many with dramatic win over Bayern in the group stage, so there is some fight left in them. Meanwhile, the Catalan Giants have been on a nine-game win streak. The trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Luis Suarez arguably one of the best front three in the world, and it looks to tear open another victim. While its defense has been shaky in recent times, allowing six goals in last three games, Barcelona should do well enough to continue Man City’s struggle in continental competitions.

Winner: Barcelona
Agg. Score: 6-3

Fox: Man City’s form has been absolutely dreadful since Yaya Toure left for AFCON. The Citizens have yet to win a league game without their Boss in the middle. The loss of Toure has been compounded by Sergio Aguero being completely unable to rediscover his form from earlier in the season, when he scored 19 goals in 20 games, prior to his injury. The Blues also haven’t yet reaped the benefits of Wilfried Bony, who they captured during the January transfer period. He hasn’t made an appearance for the club yet because he has been on international duty for the Ivory Coast with Toure at AFCON. On the other side Barcelona have been on a tear winning 11 straight, with their attacking triumvirate of Messi, Suarez, and Neymar becoming seemingly unstoppable. What worries me with Barcelona is that they have little to boast behind their front three. Thier midfield is old, their defense has sprung some leaks in recent games, and their Goalkeeper Claudio Bravo has looked average at best. Man City’s defense hasn’t exactly been stout in recent games either, meaning this matchup is going to come down to who can outscore the other. I’m going to give City the edge here due to their superiority in the mid field and their slight edge on the backline and in goal. Look for David Silva to pick apart the Barcelona back line with his tricky passing and for Yaya Toure to control the play in the mid field as City move on to the quarters for the first time in club history.

Winner: Man City
Agg. Score: 5-4

Juventus vs. Dortmund

Kee: To me, this is probably the most interesting matchup in the Round of 16. Don’t get me wrong, it has nothing to do with the talent; rather, it’s the state each team is in. Juventus, despite the talent is has at its disposal, couldn’t advance past quarterfinals in last five seasons. Dortmund, on the other hand, is going through what seems to be a neverending nightmare, finding themselves around the relegation zone. The Old Lady has been dominating the Serie A, building seven point lead ahead of the second place Roma. With plethora of talented midfielders, Juventus can be a very scary team when they can keep the possession and control the game. Everyone knows that Dortmund has the quality, but seems like it doesn’t translate into the game. A year removed from challenging for the title, they find themselves on the opposite side of the table, fighting to avoid relegation. Injuries could be at fault, with key players like Marco Reus, and other key players all missing extended period. Even though Dortmund has been somewhat decent in the Champions League, they haven’t done enough to make up for the awful domestic season they are having.

Winner: Juventus
Agg. Score: 4-2

Fox: There always seems to be that one team that struggles against relegation in league play yet somehow manage to make a deep cup run. It appears Dortmund are that team in this year’s Champion’s League. In Dortmund’s defense they haven’t really been healthy at any point this season, but the fact that they are flirting with the relegation zone is inexcusable. Even with their injury struggles they’re a side that should have enough quality to at least be mid-table in the Bundesliga. Juventus on the other hand are performing quite admirably in Serie A, currently sitting atop the table. While Dortmund’s cup run has been a feel good story it should come to an end against a Juventus side who boast the superior midfield talents in Pirlo, Vidal, and Pogba.

Winner: Juventus
Agg. Score: 2-2 (Juventus advance on away goals)

Monaco vs. Arsenal

Kee: Remember when Monaco was good? Pepperidge farm remembers. After loading off Falcao and James Rodriguez, they shocked the competition by finishing as the leader of underwhelming group. Goal scoring seems to be the issue as Dimitar Berbatov is the only player to notch more than five goals and only nine teams in Ligue 1 scored less than Les Rouge et Blanc. Its defense has been quite impressive, only allowing nineteen goals this season in their domestic league, only behind Lyon and Saint-Etienne. However, Team Sanchez seems to be a bit too much for them. With players like Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil finally healthy and ready to go, Arsene Wenger’s side looks to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since ‘09-’10 season. With Alexis Sanchez playing like, well, Alexis Sanchez, the Gunners will advance to the quarters.

Winner: Arsenal
Agg. Score: 2-0

Fox: Looking at this briefly I quickly come to the conclusion that Arsenal are the much more talented squad, boasting the attacking talents of Alexis Sanchez, Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Giroud. But upon further inspection I keep thinking that this may be a tougher draw than most people imagined. Yes Monaco sold off their best two players in Falcao and James Rodriguez last summer, and yes they struggle to score goals. Yet in spite of that they continue to play strong defense and currently sit in fifth place in Ligue 1, which is respectable enough considering they lost two great attacking talents. I still think Arsenal should win this matchup, but it’s not going to be a cakewalk.

Winner: Arsenal
Agg. Score: 2-1

Atletico Madrid vs. Bayer Leverkusen

Kee: It’s amazing how much the manager can affect the team. Diego Simeone has pulled off some magical victories against more talented sides, most notably against domestic giants like Real Madrid and Barcelona. Even though it lacks the namevalue as others, the attacking combinations of Antoine Griezmann, Arda Turan, Koke, and Mario Mandzukic has been par with anyone in the world. Even Fernando Torres has been a lightning in a bottle and scored some important goals for Atletico. Bayer Leverkusen, on the other hand, has enough quality players on the attacking side of the ball to threaten los Rojiblancos. Karim Bellarabi, Hakan Calhanoglu, Heung-Min Son, and Co. has skills to break down the Spanish side’s defense that struggled to defend one-on-one. However, Leverkusen has a tendency to foul opponents, which can come back to bite them considering the aerial threats and quality free kick takers. While Bayer wouldn’t lose easily, I expect Atletico Madrid to control the game in the opposition’s half and ultimately come out victorious.

Winner: Atletico Madrid
Agg. Score: 3-1

Fox: Atletico Madrid might just be the most unheralded team in recent memory. The reigning La Liga champs and last year’s Champions League runners up, Los Rojiblancos are a side prepared to do some major damage in this tournament. They lost a couple key contributors to last year’s squad in Filipe Luis and Diego Costa, but have continued humming along. They’ve gotten the better of their cross town rivals Real multiple times already this season, the most recent being the 4-0 beat down they laid down on them at the Vicente Calderon. I expect “the other team from Madrid” to make another deep run in this tournament, starting at Leverkusen’s expense.

Winner: Atletico Madrid
Agg. Score: 4-1