Three Bundesliga clubs will compete in the Last 16 of this season's UEFA Champions League. - © © DFL DEUTSCHE FUSSBALL LIGA
Three Bundesliga clubs will compete in the Last 16 of this season's UEFA Champions League. - © © DFL DEUTSCHE FUSSBALL LIGA

Champions League Last 16: Tough ties for Bundesliga trio

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Bundesliga trio FC Bayern München, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer 04 Leverkusen discovered their opponents in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League on Monday, with some familiar faces returning to Germany in February and March.

FC Bayern Münchenvs Arsenal FC

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Bayern, bidding to make it to the final after falling to Spanish opposition at the semi-final stage in each of the past three seasons, may have been happy to avoid a team from Spain, and perhaps even happier to see Arsenal's name come out of the bowl.

The two sides have met three times in the knockout stages - in 2005, 2013 and 2014 - and on each occasion, the Bavarians prevailed.

- © gettyimages / Lennart Preiss/Bongarts

"Porto, Sporting and now Benfica – this draw completes the complement of big Portuguese opponents. It evokes memories of the BVB legend Aki Schmidt, who passed away recently, and the Borussia triumph in the match of the century in 1963. It's going to be a tough challenge for us." - Marcel Schmelzer

- © gettyimages / Simon Hofmann

Bayer 04 Leverkusenvs Club Atletico de Madrid

Leverkusen will renew acquaintances with Club Atletico de Madrid, whom they gave a good run for their money at the same stage of the competition just two seasons ago, before being eliminated after a penalty shootout.

Meanwhile, Borussia Mönchengladbach and FC Schalke 04 discovered their opponents in the first knockout round of the UEFA Europa League.

Gladbach face Italian side ACF Fiorentina while the Royal Blues meet PAOK, the team they eliminated in the play-offs for the UEFA Champions League in 2013, when their former coach Huub Stevens was in charge of the Greek side.