Hamburg - The draw for the last 16 of the Champions League made by Franz Beckenbauer pitted nine-time European champions Real Madrid against four-time winners Bayern Munich.

Fortunately - perhaps - for both teams it was only a mock draw staged by Germany's pay-TV broadcaster Premiere. So try again: this time the Kaiser pulls Chelsea out of the hat for Bayern.

Smiles all round, but anything's possible when the real draw takes place at UEFA headquarters at Nyon, Switzerland on December 19.

Bayern will probably want to avoid both Real, despite eliminating them in the 2006/2007 knockout round, or Chelsea, who ousted the Bundesliga side in the quarter-finals two seasons earlier.

But coach Juergen Klinsmann is just one of many coaches who claim they will take what comes when the knock-out stage begins with first-leg matches on February 25-25.

The results of the last group games have now finalised the prospective opponents for the 16 qualifiers. Group winners play second-placed teams - with an away leg first for the former - while teams from the same association cannot be drawn against each other.

For European champions Manchester United, potential opponents are Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Sporting Lisbon, Atletico Madrid and Olympique Lyon.

Second-placed finishers Chelsea and Arsenal are ruled out, as are Spain's Villarreal as runner-up of the same group.

A meeting with Inter Milan would pit United manager Sir Alex Ferguson against an old rival in Jose Mourinho, who led Porto to the 2004 title, knocking the English side out on the way.

Ferguson might also relish Real Madrid whose president Ramon Calderon upset the United manager by heavily courting winger Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer.

"That would be a nice party wouldn't it?" Ferguson quipped to reporters. "I look forward to tea and biscuits with Ramon Calderon."

Bayern president Beckenbauer could well be visiting England - but it will be London rather than Manchester or Liverpool, with both Chelsea and Arsenal now among the potential opponents.

The Madrid pair Real and Atletico, another Spanish side in Villarreal, Inter Milan and Sporting Lisbon are also possibilities.

"It looks as though we can't avoid a big name," Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness said after Bayern held on for a 3-2 win at Olympique Lyon on Wednesday.

Klinsmann said his team would be competitive whatever the opponent.

"We have no preference, We'll take it as it comes. We're just looking forward to it," he said.

"You don't just breeze through at this level, but I think we're on a par with the teams that have made it through. It's always 50-50 in these matches, it's about form on the day."

Arsenal's Arsene Wenger, whose team finished behind Porto in their group, was also not too concerned about the draw - although Bayern, Juventus or Barcelona are among possible opponents.

"Maybe there is an advantage to play the second game at home, but if you look at all the groups, there is not a big difference between some teams finishing first or second," he said.

As far as the bookmakers are concerned, Spanish league leaders Barcelona are the competition's favourites with odds of around 4-1 being offered on a title win ahead of the last-16 draw.

Chelsea are second favourites with some bookmakers, although last season's losing finalists could find themselves up against Barcelona. Despite winning their group ahead of Inter Milan, Greek side Panathinaikos are regarded as the outsiders at odds of around 100-1. (dpa)