Champions League last 16 draw: Jose Mourinho claims Tottenham are team to be avoided
The Portuguese is not afraid despite Spurs unseeded heading into the knock-out phase of the competition
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Your support makes all the difference.Jose Mourinho believes Tottenham will be a team to avoid in the Champions League knockout stages.
Spurs, along with Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea, will find out their opponents for the last 16 on Monday as the draw takes place in Switzerland.
They finished second in Group B, meaning they can be drawn against one of Barcelona, Paris St Germain, Juventus, Valencia or RB Leipzig.
Mourinho reckons those five teams will be hoping to avoid his side.
“We have five options,” he said. “We don’t have much to choose.
“Basically every team has five or six options in the draw, the teams that finish first they have better luck than to get Tottenham.
“They have better options than Tottenham, so every team that finished first and has better options than Tottenham, if they get Tottenham in the draw I think they will be very happy to play in our stadium but they know we have a good team.”
Reigning champions Liverpool, who beat Spurs in last season’s final, will be hoping to avoid a horror draw.
They could be paired with either Real Madrid or city rivals Atletico, with Borussia Dortmund, Lyon or Atalanta their other possible opponents.
Four of those five teams could also be waiting for City, with Napoli a possible opponent instead of Atalanta, who they met in the group stage.
Chelsea look set to get a tough draw as they could face Barcelona, Juventus, Bayern Munich, PSG or Leipzig.
Liverpool and City as group winners get a second leg at home, while Spurs and Chelsea will be away.
The first legs of the last 16 will be played over 18/19 and 25/26 February, with the return legs on 10/11 and 17/18 March.
Arsenal, Manchester United and Wolves will find out their Europa League round of 32 opponents later on Monday.
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