FootBall: Champions League Last 16
 

Champions League Last 16: Each Team's Most Important Player

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The Champions League is now well and truly back. This week marks the beginning of the second round, but it will be almost a month before we know which eight teams will progress into the quarterfinals. Now is the time for each of the 16 remaining teams' key men to step up and truly prove their worth in the biggest club competition of them all.
Here are all of the clubs still competing for the trophy, and one player for each of those sides who will be the most pivotal in determining their fate in this season's competition.

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APOEL Nicosia: Ailton


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With his goal for Barcelona in the 3-1 victory over Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday, Lionel Messi went to the top of the competition's scoring charts with seven goals so far this season.
However, the world's best footballer is not alone up there. Ailton has also bagged the same number so far, having scored three in the group stage to help APOEL upset the odds and top their group, plus four in the qualifying rounds.
The 27-year-old Brazilian (pictured while playing for Copenhagen) is the Cypriot side's clutch player. Of his three goals in Group G, one was the winner against Zenit St Petersburg and the other two came in a draw and a win over Porto. In all, his goals were worth seven points for APOEL.
With Lyon coming to Nicosia for the second leg with a slender one-goal lead, Ailton once again has the chance to be the hero for the islanders.

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Arsenal: Robin Van Persie


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The obvious choice, sure, but Robin van Persie is so for a reason.
The Dutchman scored half of Arsenal's six goals in the group stage, an unusually low tally for the Gunners. However, it was still enough to see them top Group F, and they were unfortunate enough to be rewarded for that achievement with a second-round tie against AC Milan.
Thierry Henry is likely to play in the first leg—a match which will be his last for the club before returning to New York Red Bulls—and Gervinho will have been sufficiently recovered from his African Cup of Nations exploits to take his place in the second leg at the Emirates Stadium.
Van Persie has already scored 28 goals for Arsenal in all competitions this season. As their lead striker and their captain, his importance against Milan will be twofold.

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Bayer Leverkusen: Simon Rolfes


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Leverkusen's domestic fortunes have stalled somewhat this season, as they have dropped 15 points off the title pace in the Bundesliga.
One of the reasons for that is the farrago surrounding Michael Ballack's return to the club. The veteran midfielder, who led them to the Champions League final in 2002, has been a big disappointment this season and has now been all but frozen out of the squad.
Fortunately for Bayer, their current captain Simon Rolfes has not let them down. The commanding central midfielder was one of those for the German side who made a decent fight of it in their first-leg defeat to Barcelona, and if they are to have any chance of overturning their two-goal aggregate deficit then he will be the man driving them to do so.

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Barcelona: Lionel Messi


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Everywhere you look on the Barcelona team, you see key players.
Carles Puyol is their captain and holds the defence together, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta conduct proceedings in midfield like no either duo in the world can and Cesc Fabregas has excelled in every position in the front six at one time or another since his arrival last summer.
But, when you have among your ranks the three-time World Player of the Year—who is on course to be crowned the tournament's top scorer for an unprecedented fourth-straight season—it is hard not pin him as your key man.

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Basel: Xherdan Shaqiri


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One of the most exciting young talents in European football, Bayern Munich were able to sign the much-coveted attacking player to a pre-contract which will see him join the team in the summer.
Oh, the irony of ironies, then, that he is due to face them twice over the space of three weeks in the Champions League with his current club Basel.
The diminutive 20-year-old schemer, who acts as a kind of wide playmaker for the Swiss side, has already helped orchestrate the downfall of Manchester United this season, and he is more than capable of doing the same against his future employers. That could make the first day at his new job awkward.

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Bayern Munich: Arjen Robben


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This spot would probably have gone to Bastien Schweinsteiger were it not for the fact that Bayern's midfield general is sidelined for the next few weeks through injury.

Instead, the focus turns to Arjen Robben, the winger who played such an instrumental part in getting Bayern to the final in 2010.

The Dutchman has struggled with fitness (when hasn't he in his career?) and form this season, and recently heard criticism from Bayern legend Franz Beckenbauer for his supposed selfish ways.

However, when he is fit and firing there are still few better players at what he does anywhere.

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Benfica: Pablo Aimar


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Aside from Spanish full-back Joan Capdevila, Argentinian playmaker Pablo Aimar is the oldest player on the Benfica squad. Seeing as Capdevila's summer move from Villarreal has been something of a non-event, Aimar is for all intents and purposes the most senior member of the squad.
The veteran midfielder was an instrumental part of the Valencia side which won back-to-back La Liga titles, but at the age of 32 he remains a key player for the current Portuguese league leaders.
He showed all of his experience and creativity in the two Group C draws against Manchester United, and his equaliser in the match at Old Trafford played a big part in the Red Devils' humiliating early exit.

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Chelsea: Juan Mata


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While we all continue to await Fernando Torres' escape from captivity to vanquish the evil twin brother who has been masquerading as the striker for the best part of two years, Chelsea fans have had to look elsewhere for reasons to be cheerful this season.

Fortunately for them, they have just a figure in the form of Juan Mata. The little attacker has enjoyed an excellent debut season with the London side, scoring a goal in his Champions League debut and either netting or creating a further 13 in the Premier League.

With the Blues still susceptible to shipping a few goals on occasion, Mata's creativity will be of huge importance when he lines up for them against Napoli in the last 16.

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CSKA Moscow: Seydou Doumbia


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Russian clubs are always at a disadvantage during this stage of a European campaign because they're on their winter break. That will be remedied as of next season when their calendar is shifted into line with the rest of Europe.
As such, CSKA already face a daunting task to advance without having to negotiate Real Madrid in the coming weeks.
But in Seydou Doumbia they have a goal machine who could help them spring a surprise on Jose Mourinho's men. He has already scored five goals in the competition to go with his 24 in the Russian league, and Real will underestimate him at their peril.

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Inter Milan: Diego Milito


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Diego Milito's fall from grace since winning the Champions League with Inter in 2010 has been remarkable.
After scoring both goals in the final against Bayern Munich that claimed the treble for the Nerazzurri, the Argentina hitman was last December given the tongue-in-cheek "Golden dustbin" award by a radio station for being the worst player in Serie A.
Now, however, the Argentinian looks back to his best, having scored eight goals in the league since the turn of the year including an incredible haul of four in one match against Palermo.
With Wesley Sneijder currently a pale imitation of his former self and Diego Forlan still struggling for form and fitness, Milito will have to shoulder much of the goal-scoring burden against Marseille.

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Lyon: Michel Bastos


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The Brazilian has been a domineering presence on the left of the Lyon team for the past three seasons, ever since he joined from Lille in 2009.
Able to operate at either left-back on on the wing, Michel Bastos offers plenty of attacking threat in terms of crossing ability and set pieces.
Lyon take a slender one-goal advantage with them to APEOL Nicosia where, as the oldest member of the squad outside of the defence, he will be expected to lead Lyon through a tricky second leg.

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Marseille: Steve Mandanda


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No team in the group stage apart from Real Madrid conceded fewer goals than the four Marseille shipped in their opening six games.
A great deal of the credit for that defensive record effort to go to Mandanda, who is now in his fifth season at Marseille and playing better than ever.
He is sure to face the aforementioned Diego Milito at several points over the two legs of OM's tie with Inter Milan. Whoever wins those duels will most likely be playing in the quarterfinals.

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AC Milan: Zlatan Ibrahimovic


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The big Swede may be one of the most arrogant and mercurial players in world football, but he possesses more talent than most strikers could dream of.
Despite his rather harsh reputation as a big-game bottler, he is something of a lucky charm for the Rossoneri. Milan has won 28 of 29 Serie A matches in which he has scored. That defeat came against his former club Juventus in the early part of last season.
Those who point to his poor performances against English teams must have forgotten the brace he scored against Arsenal while playing for Barcelona. The Gunners will hope it is the preening, sulking Zlatan who faces them and not his alter ego—one of the best strikers in the world.

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Real Madrid: Cristiano Ronaldo


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As with Lionel Messi for Barcelona, picking Cristiano Ronaldo as Real's key man feels like a bit of a soft option. But, just like Messi, the Portuguese forward's immense and unique talent demands his inclusion.
Since arriving at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu for a world-record fee of £80 million in 2009, Ronaldo has gone on to score a quite phenomenal 120 goals in 122 games for Los Merengues.
His shoot-on-sight policy has consistently yielded good results, and he is likely to continue that aggressive form against CSKA Moscow and beyond in this season's competition.

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Napoli: Ezequiel Lavezzi


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Edinson Cavani deserves all of the plaudits he gets for his eye-popping record in front of goal for Napoli, but Ezequiel Lavezzi is the man Chelsea will have to stop when they face the Italian side.
The 26-year-old Argentinian national laid on three of Napoli's 10 goals in the group stage and has been every bit as impressive as Cavani or his other highly-touted teammate, Marek Hamsik.
If the tricky forward is allowed to work his magic in front of the Chelsea defence, then Napoli could strike a blow for Serie A over the Premier League.

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Zenit St Petersburg: Domenico Criscito

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Zenit are another of the sides for whom defensive records have been the bedrock of success. They may have only scored seven goals in the group stage, but that was sufficient to progress having only conceded five in that time.
Italy defender Domenico Criscito played every single minute of Zenit's six group games, and is one of the relatively few Italians to venture abroad and thrive at the highest level.
The full-back will have a tough job on his hands against Benfica as Pablo Aimar, Axel Witsel and Nicolas Gaitan take their turns attacking down his side, but if Criscito can withstand their onslaughts over two legs then Zenit may yet see springtime in Europe this season.