12:20 CET: Well, what can we take from this? At this stage it's churlish to try to select a "tie of the round" due to the sheer strength of the teams involved, but there are three English teams meeting three Italian teams here in what will surely be huge matches right across the board. Villarreal-Panathinaikos could potentially provide a surprise semi-finalist, while Lyon-Barcelona could be especially intriguing if the French champions get a good first leg result.
That's it for our live coverage, but join us throughout the afternoon and beyond as we bring you the latest reactions from inside the clubs, not to mention our unsurpassed editorial content. And remember, the Goal.com forums are just waiting for your contribution! Goodbye!
12:19 CET: That's the draw complete - here it is in full:
Chelsea - Juventus
Villarreal - Panathinaikos
Sporting - Bayern
Atletico Madrid - FC Porto
Lyon - Barcelona
Real Madrid - Liverpool
Arsenal - Roma
Inter - Manchester United
12:18 CET: And then ARSENAL meet ROMA by default, leaving one more tie - INTERNAZIONALE meet MANCHESTER UNITED!
12:17 CET: Struggling REAL MADRID remain a massive test for... my, oh, my! LIVERPOOL!
12:16 CET: OLYMPIQUE LYON are out next. Lyon are going to face FC BARCELONA!
12:15 CET: And then ATLETICO MADRID are drawn to face... well, it's none other than FC PORTO! Once again it looks like big guns versus big guns are coming up soon - but both of those sides will feel that this tie is winnable!
12:14 CET: Next up is SPORTING CP. They will face... BAYERN MUNICH! Well, this leaves several of the bigger guns free to be drawn against each other!
12:13 CET: VILLARREAL are next out. Who will Manuel Pellegrini's side meet this time? It's... PANATHINAIKOS. (Scroll to the foot of the page to see the whole draw, by the way, as it happens._
12:12 CET: AND WE'RE UNDERWAY! The first team out is CHELSEA. And their opponents... JUVENTUS! Claudio Ranieri meets his old side!
12:11 CET: The UEFA boffin is explaining the different draw permutations. Of course Goal.com has already kept readers informed of who can meet whom here (opens in a new window), so feel free to take a little two-minute snooze until the draw takes place!
12:09 CET: And now a UEFA functionary has appeared to conduct the draw. There are just minutes to go but, curiously enough, the presidential seating at the front of the room is nowhere near full, but the press area at the back is chock-a-block...
12:07 CET: Now we take a moment to remember the contributions of Bruno Conti. The former AS Roma legend is now a UEFA Champions League ambassador. He spent seventeen years with the giallorossi, believe it or not, in a wildly successful career. He may not have ever won the European Cup but he did finish as a runner-up...
12:06 CET: We're now midway through one of those highlight reels that UEFA do so well, in which the 16 remaining sides are being showcased. Of course it's hard to draw too many conclusions from a 20 second clip of each side, but Panathinaikos, despite their relatively modest stature, look to be a force to be reckoned with...
12:02 CET: Mr. Taylor reveals that of the 16 remaining teams, no fewer than 13 are past finalists of Europe's premier competition. I'll let you rack your brains to see if you can work out which three have never made it to the last two...
12:00 CET: And we're underway! UEFA General Secretary David Taylor of Scotland is waxing lyrical about the Champions League's unique charm. Michel Platini, the UEFA chief, sends his apologies - he's at the Club World Cup in Japan at the moment, preparing to cheer on Manchester United (apparently.)
11:59 CET: I'll be watching this article's comments as the draw takes place, so keep them coming. Above all, though, you should think about getting involved with your fellow fans on our Goal.com forums (opens in a new window), where the Champions League is just one of many topics. And, as always, our FREE Goal.com Manager (opens in a new window) game brings you the best of the Champions League excitement.
11:57 CET: Indeed, while Barcelona's draw may be considered "easy", another look at the teams involved suggests that there is no simple passage to the next stage. After all, even those names considered less than huge on the continental stage have their advantages. Panathinaikos, of course, managed to win their group ahead of Inter. The Italian champions thus can only meet Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, or Porto. Not long to go now!
11:53 CET: Just seven minutes to go until the ceremonies begin. The draw itself will follow after the usual pre-amble. Barcelona president Joan Laporta has more reason than most to be nervous at the moment: such is his side's seeding that they can only be drawn against Chelsea, Inter, Lyon, or Arsenal. But, as the cliché goes, to be the best, you have to beat the best...
11:46 CET: The great, the good, and the not-so-great of European football are assembled in Nyon to follow the draw, which, in true UEFA fashion, is somewhat Byzantine in its structure. It's not as simple as two sets of seeds being drawn against each other. Instead ther are certain stipulations: teams from the same group must avoid each other, as much those from the same national league. Our Goal.com guide to the qualifiers is here (opens in a new window) if you want a last-minute look at who can face whom.
11:44 CET: Welcome to Goal.com's LIVE coverage of the UEFA Champions League draw in Nyon! I'm Ewan Macdonald and we at Goal.com will be with you every step of the way as Europe's top 16 teams learn their fate on a cold, Swiss afternoon...
DRAW
Chelsea - Juventus
Villarreal - Panathinaikos
Sporting - Bayern
Atletico Madrid - FC Porto
Lyon - Barcelona
Real Madrid - Liverpool
Arsenal - Roma
Inter - Manchester United
Juventus may be willing to part with the striker as Amauri has been in sizzling form since his arrival from Palmero this summer. However, it is not a move that the 'White House' and sporting director Predrag Mijatovic are likely to approve as Trezeguet, for one, is cup tied for the Champions League and he has also has been struggling with injury all season.Instead, it seems the La Liga champions are much closer to Ajax striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, although apparently Schuster would like to bring in Trez in addition to the highly rated Dutchman.However, that may be even too much of a luxury for Real Madrid to achieve, bringing in two of Europe's most sought after hit-men.
Zenit came into this game knowing that if they failed to win, a victory for Real Madrid later in the night would eliminate them from the Champions League. Coach Dick Advocaat was without Lee Ho due to injury, and defender Sébastien Puygrenier, who was serving a one-match ban following his red card on Matchday 4. Russian stars Pavel Pogrebnyak and Andrei Arshavin led the frontline, supported by Portuguese international Danny.
Juventus were already qualified for the last 16 after obtaining six points out of six against Real Madrid. A draw in this game would see them finish top of the group. Claudio Ranieri’s side was still decimated by injuries, as Jorge Andrade, Cristiano Zanetti, Jonathan Zebina, Gianluigi Buffon, David Trezeguet, Christian Poulsen, Dario Knežević, and Tiago were sidelined. Mauro Camoranesi began from the start on the right of midfield, while Vincenzo Iaquinta replaced Amauri as Alessandro Del Piero's partner in attack.
First Half
Juventus had the first chance of the game after just 90 seconds, as Vincenzo Iaquinta rose unmarked in the box to meet a Camoranesi free kick, but he could not keep his header down.
The Bianconeri were looking particularly dangerous from set-pieces and, from another Camoranesi dead-ball on nine minutes, Olof Mellberg crashed a header from six yards against the outside of the post.
Zenit threatened for the first time on 16 minutes when Pogrebnyak raced through behind the Juve defence, but Giorgio Chiellini got back to make a fantastic last gasp tackle. Moments later Pogrebnyak lashed a 30-yard free kick over the bar.
The home side were warming up now, and Konstantin Zyrianov cracked a right-foot volley on target, but Alex Manninger was equal to the effort.
However, midway through the half Juventus were centimetres away from taking the lead, as they struck the woodwork for a second time. Cristian Molinaro cut the ball back for Iaquinta, who directed the ball onto the post. Camoranesi could then only shoot wide from the eventual rebound.
The Argentine-born winger was getting into some promising positions, and on 32 minutes he darted in at the back post on a raking pass, but he was stretching and couldn't make decent contact. Pavel Nedved's dangerous near post cross was then plucked out of the near post by goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeev.
Zenit had their first serious shot of the game in the 39th minute as Anatoliy Tymoshuk forced Manninger into a low save with a 20-yard free kick. Ivica Krizanac then saw a goal disallowed for offside, as the sides went in goalless at the break.
Second Half
Juventus came flying out of the blocks in the second half, and Del Piero almost scored immediately as he chest down Grygera's centre and lashed a volley towards goal, which was excellently saved by Malafeev. The ball then pinballed around the area, before Nedved fired over.
Danny burst into life on 50 minutes with a run and shot that was smartly saved by Manninger, before Pogrebnyak headed harmlessly wide at the back host.
Del Piero, who was improving after a quiet first half, curled a free kick straight at Malafeev before then testing the goalkeeper again from 20 yards.
However, on 54 minutes, The Golden Boy was guilty of a glaring miss to put his side ahead. Iaquinta cut the ball back into the area, but with the goal gaping Del Piero somehow fired the ball wide.
Zenit were not playing well, but on 65 minutes they created a gilt-edged opportunity as Molinaro gave the ball away carelessly, which eventually allowed Danny a clean run on goal, but he delayed his shot too long and allowed Claudio Marchisio to make a tackle. Seconds later Pogrebnyak crashed an unstoppable long shot against the post with Manninger completely beaten.
Del Piero had scored a brilliant free kick when these two sides met in Turin in September, but he was struggling to repeat the trick tonight, and with 13 minutes remaining he shot weakly at Malafeev. Substitute Sebastian Giovinco then replaced the captain.
Danny had been Zenit's most dangerous player in the second half, and with seven minutes remaining he almost toe-poked the home side into the lead, but the ball trickled inches wide of the far post. Nicolas Lombaerts then couldn't make the most of a scramble in the Italian box.
The game finished goalless, and Zenit's hopes of reaching the Champions League knockout stages now hang by a thread. If Real Madrid beat BATE tonight, they will be eliminated. Juventus now look odds-on to finish top of Group H.
Teams
Zenit: Malafeev, Anyukov, Krizanac, Lombaerts, Sirl, Denisov, Tymoschuk, Zyrianov, Danny, Arshavin (Fayzulin 70), Pogrebnyak
Juventus: Manninger, Grygera, Mellberg, Chiellini, Molinaro, Camoranesi (Marchionni 83), Sissoko, Marchisio, Nedved, Del Piero (Giovinco 77), Iaquinta (Amauri 86)
