The cream of the European crop return to action this week with the Champions League knockout stages beginning on Tuesday.
Sixteen teams remain in the hunt for club football’s biggest prize, with five English teams in contention and Paris Saint-Germain v Real Madrid the standout tie.
Here Sportsmail examines each of the eight upcoming clashes and tells you all you need to know about each side.
The race to win this season’s Champions League resumes with the first knockout round
REAL MADRID v PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN
The most eye-catching of the eight ties sees Europe’s most successful team against another looking to create a legacy of their own.
Unai Emery’s PSG, who threw away a 4-0 first-leg lead against Barcelona at this stage last year, are once again running away with the top flight in France. They are 12 points clear in Ligue 1 and have added both Neymar and Kylian Mbappe to their attacking ranks since that Nou Camp humiliation.
They possess few weaknesses on paper. But in the seven years since their money-spinning Qatari takeover, the French giants are still yet to go beyond the quarter-finals.
Paris Saint-Germain have a fearsome forward line spearheaded by Brazilian superstar Neymar
Madrid, meanwhile, are seeking a third successive European triumph under Zinedine Zidane. Their European pedigree is unrivalled but the wheels have rather come off at the Bernabeu this season.
The Spanish giants sit fourth in La Liga, 17 point off leaders Barcelona. In Europe, too, they have stumbled. The 11-time Champions were forced to settle for second in Group H after defeat by Tottenham.
But with Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Co in their ranks, they still have more than enough power in their arsenal to beat any team.
VERDICT : PSG won’t waste this golden to banish the memories of last year.
CHELSEA v BARCELONA
A rivalry that has produced some of the most iconic moments in recent Champions League history. But one whose protagonists appear to be heading in opposite directions.
Less than a year on from winning the title in Antonio Conte’s first season in charge, Chelsea are falling apart at the seams. Their Italian boss is embroiled in a public spat with the club’s hierarchy and results are suffering, too.
Victory over West Brom on Monday came on the back of two heavy — and humiliating — domestic defeats. And in Ernesto Valverde’s side, they welcome a side in the groove.
Can Eden Hazard inspire Chelsea to another famous Champions League win over Barcelona?
A home draw against Getafe on Sunday will do little to strike feat into the Stamford Bridge faithful. But that setback has done little to dent Barcelona’s domestic dominance this season.
They are seven points clear in La Liga and have yet to taste defeat in the league or in Europe under their new coach. Oh, and last month they added Philippe Coutinho to their already-deadly attacking unit.
VERDICT: Barcelona last failed to reach the last-eight in 2007. That run isn’t about to end.
JUVENTUS v TOTTENHAM
Perhaps the toughest tie to call, Juventus v Tottenham promises to be a fascinating battle between two teams at different stages of the cycle of success.
Under Conte and now Massimiliano Allegri, Juventus have been utterly dominant at home in recent years, winning six straight Serie A titles (and three consecutive league-cup doubles). In Europe, too, they have reached two finals in three seasons.
But Napoli are threatening to end their era of Italian supremacy, while Barcelona pipped them to top spot in Group D. Spurs, meanwhile, are threatening to become a European giant in their own right under Mauricio Pochettino.
Harry Kane has led Tottenham’s impressive progress under manager Mauricio Pochettino
They finished top of Group H, thanks in no part to a famous Wembley win over Real Madrid. Their league form has been somewhat patchy — they are fourth and 20 points adrift of league leaders Manchester City — but they showed again against Arsenal why they are one of the most dangerous teams left in the competition.
In Harry Kane, they possess one of the deadliest marksman in European football. But Spurs are without a trophy since 2008. And under Pochettino they have shown signs of crumbling on the biggest stage.
VERDICT : Pochettino’s side will outline their top-level credentials with victory.
PORTO v LIVERPOOL
Given some of the teams their side could have faced, Liverpool fans were right to be relieved when Porto were drawn from the proverbial hat.
Jurgen Klopp’s side head into the tie as heavy favourites, having finished top of Group E with an incredible 23 goals to their name. In Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, they also have one of the most potent front lines in European football.
Despite finishing top of the pile in the group stages however, Klopp’s side demonstrated enough inconsistency and defensive fragility to suggest their optimism must be tempered.
Mohamed Salah has enjoyed a phenomenal first season at Liverpool, scoring 29 goals so far
They twice threw away leads against Sevilla and often failed to turn dominance into points. The Reds have form against little-fancied Portuguese opposition, too. In 2006, Rafa Benitez’s heroes from Istanbul were knocked out at the last-16 stage by Benfica.
Now a Coutinho-less Liverpool head to Porto to face a side unbeaten in the league all season.
Vincent Aboubakar and Moussa Marega, who have 31 Primeira Liga goals between them, will surely test Klopp’s new-look back four. But can Porto cope with Liverpool’s threat at the other end of the pitch?
VERDICT : Liverpool will reach the quarter-finals. But it won’t be short of drama.
BASLE v MANCHESTER CITY
Anything can happen in football, of course, but if Manchester City fail to reach the last-eight, the art of prediction-making may as well perish for good.
Basle have, of course, more than proved their European pedigree in recent years. They already boast a victory over Manchester United this season and have a decent record against English sides, too.
Kevin De Bruyne (centre) and the Manchester City squad train ahead of their trip to Basle
But they are five points adrift of Swiss league leaders Young Boys and are as much as 10/1 outsiders to progress against a City side setting new standards in English football.
Even with a number of key players out through injury, City boast a frightening forward line and Kevin De Bruyne, the player of the Premier League season so far. Could this be the year they go all the way?
VERDICT: City will send a warning sign to the rest of Europe’s elite.
SEVILLA v MANCHESTER UNITED
Another apparently-favourable draw that is fraught with danger for the Premier League side.
Both these sides have been victorious in Europe’s second-tier competition in recent years. But only one can reach the last-eight of the Champions League this time around.
Manchester United, who won all but one of their Group A matches, head into the game as the heavy favourites. But Sevilla showed in both games against Liverpool that they will not go down without a fight, while Jose Mourinho’s side have stumbled in recent weeks.
Alexis Sanchez and his Manchester United team-mates face Spain’s Sevilla in the last-16
Defeat by Newcastle on Sunday was their second in three matches and the form of Paul Pogba is concerning, too. The club-record signing has been brought off in the last two away games – and was dropped to the bench against Huddersfield.
Nevertheless, those problems seem trivial when compared to Sevilla’s struggles this season.
The Spanish side have won their last two games. But they remain five places and 23 points off Barcelona, while Vincenzo Montella was brought into replace the sacked Eduardo Berizzo in December after a poor run of results.
VERDICT: Mourinho’s men will prove too good for Montella’s side.
BAYERN MUNICH v BESIKTAS
These are uncharted waters for Besiktas. The Turkish side may have topped Group G ahead of Monaco, Leipzig and Porto, but never before have they reached the last-16 of the modern Champions League.
Senol Gunes’ side have this season added experienced European campaigners Pepe and Gary Medel to their ranks, while in the likes of Ricardo Quaresma, Ryan Babel and Alvaro Negredo, they boast a number of familiar names to fans on these shores.
Ryan Babel (right) is one of a number of former Premier League stars currently at Besiktas
But do they have enough firepower to bring down one of Europe’s big guns? It seems unlikely. Bayern may have finished below PSG in the group stage. But under Jupp Heynckes they are back to somewhere near their best.
The German giants have won 12 matches on the spin and currently sit 18 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga. Besiktas, meanwhile, are three points and three places off top spot in Turkey.
VERDICT: Besiktas’ first knockout adventure will be short lived.
SHAKHTAR DONETSK V ROMA
Roma have not gone beyond the last-16 in a decade, while Shakhtar Donetsk have managed it only once in their history. Only one side will improve that poor record this year.
The Italian giants kept hold of Edin Dzeko despite January interest from Chelsea. The former Manchester City forward has scored 14 goals this season, a haul that includes three in this year’s Champions League.
Former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko remained at Roma despite interest from Chelsea
But Eusebio Di Francesco’s side are fourth in Serie A, 16 points adrift of leaders Napoli. They have won their last two matches, but those two victories followed a torrid run of no win in their previous seven.
Shakhtar, meanwhile, are again the dominant side in Ukraine. They are three points clear of Dynamo Kiev at home and beat Serie A leaders Napoli into second place in Group F.
VERDICT: Shakhtar Donetsk can upset the odds and reach the last-eight.