Real Madrid
(Creative Commons)

The round of 16 play has begun in the Champions League this week. The most prestigious club tournament in the world is a yearly showcase for the top teams in Europe and therefore the collection of the best of players in the world. Here's a breakdown of the remaining teams, expectations of each team, and the overarching story lines.  

Olympique Lyon vs. Real Madrid:

The French powerhouse as of recent history (seven consecutive Ligue 1 titles earlier this decade) has dealt with an attrition of players over the years. Gerard Houllier, then manager, seemed resistent to the raids, having lost the likes of Michael Essien, Juninho, Florent Malouda, and Karim Benzema (the latest defector and to Madrid nonetheless) over the years, yet they continued to dominate domestically. They never won on the European stage during their run and that was the one knock on their success and this year looks no different.

The nine-time champions of Europe, Real Madrid, lost to Lyon yesterday away by a goal. Look for Madrid to pounce in the second leg and punish Lyon for scoring only one goal at home. They've been knocked out six consecutive years now in this round of 16, yet this year might be different. The final will be in the Santiago Bernabeu. It also helps if you add Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, and Benzema in one summer. They added two of the best three midfielders in the world and the set of strikers they have now (Gonzalo Higuain, Benzema, and a third-wheel Raul) is stacked. They aren't the favorites, but if they win it wouldn't be surprising. This team despite its star power, will go only as far as how well Ronaldo plays.

AC Milan vs. Manchester United:

This matchup is being billed as the return of David Beckham to Old Trafford. The player on loan from the LA Galaxy saw his best years there even winning the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the Champions League in one season. That's what it was billed as, but the hype should have been centered on Wayne Rooney. He scored two headers yesterday for the away win. United were outplayed for a chunk of the match, but found a way to equalize and then sneak out a win. This has been the story of United all season; after losing Ronaldo to Madrid, they shouldn't be contending with Chelsea for the league title, yet they are and they shouldn't still be in contention in the Champions League, yet they are and the reason has been Rooney. AC Milan might be one of the best teams in European competition, but it seems highly unlikely for them to head into Old Trafford and win outright.

AC Milan is in shambles, yet they dominated play in the first half yesterday. They could have won. Their best player now that Kaka left is Ronaldinho and he's been a bust for a few years running now. Andrea Pirlo isn't a number one, their truly best players are their defenders, they rely on Filippo Inzaghi like he's young, and Alexandre Pato plays better for Brazil than club. Carlo Ancelotti was canned and now is speaking English and atop the table in the Premier League with Chelsea.

Chelsea vs. Internazionale Milan:

The other reunion taking place in this round of 16 is Jose Mourinho's return to Stamford Bridge. The former Chelsea boss will manage against a squad of players he once coached and brought on board. The self-anointed "Special One" enjoyed wild success at Chelsea winning back-to-back league titles and a total of six trophies in three years before boardroom egos and ultimately this trophy, the UEFA Champions League, not winning one while at Chelsea cost him his job. Internazionale will repeat as Serie A champs this year, but Mourinho will be judged on how he performs in this tournament; the harsh realities of his own success.

Chelsea is at least the favorite to win the trophy if an English team were to win it. Ancelotti has won it at the helm of AC Milan twice and the players he has now are battle-tested and have come so close over the years under Mourinho and Avram Grant.

Bayern Munich vs. Fiorentina:

One of the more lopsided matchups left in the draw, the traditional powerhouse of the Bundesliga, Munich will face an injured and out-of-sorts Fiorentina. Munich is riding a 12-match win streak and boast a world-class roster that includes Hamit Altintop, Miroslav Klose, Franck Ribery, and Arjen Robben. Meanwhile Viola has lost four out of its last five, is eleventh in Serie A, are battling injuries, and their top striker Adrian Mutu has been suspended for testing positive for a banned substance.

Porto vs. Arsenal:

Though third in the Premier League, this is the only title realistically that Arsenal is still in the running for this season in hopes of ending a five-year drought. They will be without injured Andrey Arshavin, Eduardo da Silva, Manuel Almunia, and William Gallas. Porto on the other hand, are experienced European competitors, twice champions of Europe and last in 2004 under Mourinho. They have a knack for getting to this stage having done it the six times in the last seven years. However, when they're firing, not a lot of teams can contain them and it begins with their roving midfielder Cesc Fabregas. Porto defender Bruno Alves on Fabregas, "[He] is obviously a class player and crucial in their attacking buildup." Arsenal might attack their way to the quarterfinals, but their defensive vulnerabilities will hamper them from advancing any further.

Stuttgart vs. Barcelona:

Xavi Hernandez, Seydou Keita, Eric Abidal, Daniel Alves, and most likely as Yaya Toure have been ruled out for Barcelona heading into their match due to injury. No worries, two words: Lionel Messi. The defending champs are clear-cut favorites in this stacked tournament because they have the best player in the world and no one else can say that. Facing Stuttgart is just a formality until the fun stuff (quarterfinals and semis) in late March and April. There'll be time then to discuss the tactical prowess of Josep Guardiola and the ability of the Barcelona players to execute unlike any other manager and team combination.

Olympiacos vs. Bordeaux:

Bordeaux has supplanted Lyon as the best team in France. Olympiacos is the best team in Greece, but that's like saying Houston Dynamo is the best soccer team in America. Bordeaux is favored to advance and will be shocking their quarterfinals opponent. France's display in European competition recently in the form of Lyon has been disappointing, but look out for a fun Bordeaux team that had the best record in the group stage with five wins and one draw while conceding only two goals thus far, the best defensive showing as well. A player to watch will be Yoann Gourcuff, a midfielder being touted as the next Zidane. Even if it's just blowhard-ism, those types of comparisons are always fun to watch.

CSKA Moskva vs. Sevilla:

CSKA's domestic campaign is finished and all their preparations are going into this matchup. Sevilla is a feisty Andalusian squad with a penchant to buzz around the bigger clubs. But they've also won silverware including back-to-back UEFA Cups in 2006 and 2007 under Juande Ramos. This matchup is also not as sexy as some of the others, but if Sevilla advances then they're sure to hang tough with their next and presumably much more traditionally strong opponent. Then we'll see a sexy matchup, but an underdog squad against faceless and bland Russians isn't that appealing.

My prediction for the final: Barcelona vs. Madrid with the Catalans repeating.