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The Champions League draw for the first knock-out stage of the 2009/10 stage was completed on Friday at FIFA head-quarters, and the fixture list does not disappoint in terms of excitement. From an English perspective, both Manchester United and Chelsea have draw tough Italian opponents, both of which sees the return of past faces. The fixtures takes place over dates in February and March, and there are some major clashes to look forward to, most notably involving the top two English clubs.

It has been seven years since England star David Beckham played in front of the Old Trafford crowd, but Alex Ferguson’s men were drawn out against AC Milan, where Beckham will be on loan for six months. It has been a desire for some time now of Beckham’s to play again there, and now he is likely to get his chance, which adds a little extra spice to this fixture. Although they had a slow start to their season, AC Milan have really picked up their form, and are chasing their domestic league title as well as a little bit of Champions League glory. They have proven to be a pain in the side of Manchester United in the tournament, most recently in 2006/07 when the Milan side had the upper hand in the semi final encounter.

Chelsea meanwhile will get to pit their wits against their irrepressible former manager Jose Mourinho, as the blues are paired up against the other Milan side, Inter. This, arguably is a tougher task than AC Milan, as Inter have been going strong all season domestically, led by the winner Mourinho. Whatever bad blood may have transpired between the hierarchy at Chelsea and the Portuguese manager, there will, more likely than not, be a war of words to the press when the time approache, even though Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti will probably a calming presence in the whole affair. Inter failed to get the better of Barcelona in the group stage of the Champions League, and that will give Chelsea some hope. Italian Carlo Ancelotti is no stranger to Inter, having coached AC Milan 8 years.

There would have been much easier draws for both Manchester United and Chelsea, and now they will really have to prove to the rest of Europe that they can take on the best of Europe and win. If they both progress then it will be the end of the Italian challenge for the Champions League this season. Arsenal meanwhile were handed one of the easiest tasks in the draw, as they drew out FC Porto, who finished second in their group behind Chelsea. Arsene Wenger will be the happiest manager of the three English participants, as Porto, despite promising a lot, were dealt with comfortably by Chelsea. The Blues didn’t really need to get out of first gear to win both of the games against the Portuguese, and Wenger will be hoping for a fully fit squad by the time the Champions League comes around again.

Current Champions League holders Barcelona will be happy with their draw against struggling German side Stuttgart, while David Beckham’s old club, Real Madrid will have a battle on their hands against French side Lyon. Lyon can be hit and miss, brilliant on their day, vulnerable when they are not. Both Spanish teams will be confident of progressing.

Champions League Draw First Knock-Out Stage
First Leg February 16th, Second Leg March 10 (Match odds in brackets)
AC Milan (17/10) vs. Manchester United (11/8) at Blue Square
Lyon (2/1) vs. Real Madrid (5/4) at Bet365

First Leg February 17th, Second Leg March 9
Bayern Munich (8/13) vs. Fiorentina (9/2) at SkyBet
FC Porto (9/5) vs. Arsenal (13/10) at 888Sport

First Leg February 23rd, Second Leg March 17
Olympiacos (11/8) vs. Bordeaux (13/8) at BetFred
Stuttgart (12/5) vs. Barcelona (8/11) at Bet365

First Leg February 24th, Second Leg March 16th
Inter Milan (8/5) vs. Chelsea (6/4) at 888Sport
CSKA Moscow (13/8) vs. Seville (11/8) at SkyBet

Friday’s draw will have affected prices somewhat, so here are the latest Champions League Outright Winner Prices:
Barcelona – 10/3 at BetFred
Chelsea – 9/2 at Bet365
Real Madrid – 11/2 at BetFred
Manchester United – 9/1 at Bet365
Arsenal – 10/1 at Coral
Inter Milan – 14/1 at Boylesports
Sevilla – 16/1 at Sporting Bet
Bayern Munich – 20/1 at Totesport
Fiorentina – 50/1 at BetFred
Porto – 66/1 at Stan James
Lyon – 66/1 at Bet365
Olympiakos – 125/1 at Victor Chandler
CSKA Moscow – 150/1 William Hill
Stuttgart – 150/1 at Bet365