English clubs handed Italian jobs in the Champions League

The two remaining English teams in the Champions League have been handed difficult draws for the first knockout stage of the competition.

Both Arsenal and Chelsea will face Italian opposition. Arsenal will face Italian Champions AC Milan and Chelsea will face Napoli.

Tough

Chelsea only just scraped through to the knockout stages with a win over Spanish side Valencia in their last group game.

The Blues weren’t convincing at all in qualifying and they come up against a Napoli team that took four points off Manchester City in the group stages, and ultimately eliminated the Premier League leaders.

Arsenal face AC Milan in what promises to be a difficult tie. AC were in Barcelona’s group in the group stages and were less than convincing. However they do still have some top players.

Beatable

AC Milan have had a poor season by their standards. The Rossoneri are currently third in their domestic league but are just two points behind table topping Juventus. AC Milan is a very good team but they are not unbeatable.

Their star player Zlatan Ibrahimovic is something of an enigma when it comes to facing English opposition. I don’t think he has ever had a good game against teams from British shores. On the continent he is hailed as some sort of super player.

Then there is the likes of Brazilians Robinho and Alexandre Pato, both are inconsistent and the former can be frustrating to watch, as Manchester City fans will tell you.

It will also be an interesting clash between youth and experience when the Rossoneri face Arsenal, because you can’t get much more experienced than the AC Milan squad. It seems they have an aversion to signing younger players.

Napoli are currently fifth in the Serie A table. I predicted at the start of the season that this could be their year to win the Scudetto. However their form has been inconsistent since a blistering start to the season.

On their day they can beat anybody but they are finding it hard to find a steady level of performance. If they find consistent form then the boys from Naples pose a threat to any opposition they come up against.

Form

At the start of the season if you would have asked me if Arsenal had a chance of beating AC Milan in the Champions League I would have said no chance. However Arsenal and in particular Robin Van Persie have started to hit form in recent months. It’s crucial for the Gunners that the Dutch striker stays fit though.

Chelsea’s form this season has been patchy to say the least but a bit like Napoli on their day they can beat anybody. The Blues have won the last three games in all competitions and everybody at the club will be looking for that form to continue.

Progression

I don’t think either Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas or Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger will be overly disappointed by the draw. Both sides have a good chance of progressing into the quarter-finals. The draw certainly isn’t a death nail in their Champions League hopes.

Arsenal or Chelsea may not win the Champions League but I am pretty confident that the pair can overcome their Italian rivals and make it into the quarter-finals, a feat that the likes of Manchester City and Manchester United will have to wait until next season to achieve.

Will Arsenal and Chelsea beat their Italian opposition in the Champions League?