Steven Gerrard.

Liverpool have managed two Champions League finals in three years without ever looking like doing the business in the Premier League so another good run may not be beyond them. Certainly they have little chance of challenging for the EPL title, so it would be no surprise if the Champions League becomes the focus of their campaign. Summer signing Fernando Torres has been signed purely to make sureLiverpool are scoring goals and could provide the class necessary to break down the Inter Milan defence.

He will be assisted ably, as always, by influential captain Steven Gerrard (right), who is a potential matchwinner. Last season’s Italian Serie A champions Inter always seem to disappoint in Europe, with two distant European Cup victories in the 1960s their only Champions League success. With Liverpool seemingly out of form and struggling with their controversial American owners, Inter Milan should be able to book their passage to the quarter finals.

Real Madrid’s Robinho.

It seems anything less than a Champions League win is not good enough for either the fans or President Roman Calderon and it’s been an eventful but largely disappointing five years for the Madrid side following their Zinedine Zidane-inspired 2002 win. The departure of David Beckham to LA Galaxy in the summer heralded the end of the Galacticos era but ironically this might provide their best chance, with new players like Robinho (right), to regain the Champions League crown they so desire.

Roma’s 2007 campaign will always be remembered for their ignominious 7-1 loss to Manchester United, one of the most sensational results in Champions League history. No doubt they will feel they’ve a point to prove and as always will be led ably by figurehead Francesco Totti who is the heart and soul of Luciano Spalletti’s side. Totti has retired from international football and his renewed focus on Roma could provide the impetus for them to cause an upset here.

Nicolas Anelka.

The Greek champions are one of the real underdogs in the last 16 and Chelsea should make light work of them. But therein lies the danger; Olympiakos seem to have shaken off their previous poor European form, having qualified from a tough group that included powerhouse Real Madrid and talented Germans Werder Bremen as well as Italian side Lazio.

Chelsea will also be out to avenge their two recent semi-final exits that saw them unfairly labeled underachievers. They have regained their unstoppable form under new manager Avram Grant, following the departure of Jose Mourinho, and there is a foreboding lack of expectation this year in the press. Last season they were crippled by injuries and if their African Cup of Nations contingent comes through unscathed and new signing from Bolton, Nicolas Anelka (left), can manage to get on the scoresheet, then Chelsea can never be written off.

Schalke’s new signing, Ze Roberto.

Porto has a reputation for unearthing top quality talent that inevitably gets snapped up by bigger clubs which hinders their ability to compete at the top level. The club has managed to win the Champions League/European Cup twice though, the last time in 2004 with Jose Mourinho at the helm, and is always good value to be the surprise packet of the competition. Porto is particularly hard to beat at home, which always helps its chances.

Schalke 04 is another team that could slip under the radar. Unlucky to not win the Bundesliga last season, they are something of an unknown quantity at Champions League level but qualified from a tough group that included Chelsea and Valencia. New signing Ze Roberto (left) marked his debut with Schalke on February 3 with a goal and could be the danger man for the German side. But internationals Kevin Kuranyi and Gerald Asamoah will still have to shoulder much of the scoring burden.

Emmanuel Adebayor.

One of the biggest ties of this knockout round. AC Milan is always thereabouts and has won the Champions League seven times, including in 2007, and are led by 39-year-old veteran Paolo Maldini. He has announced he will retire at the end of this season and the prospect of a victorious fairwell for this club champion could be the inspiration the Rossoneri needs to go all the way. Despite losing their star striker Thierry Henry to Barcelona in the summer, Arsenal appear to have suffered almost no ill-effects and are leading the Premier League, just ahead of Manchester United.

Since Henry’s departure, Cesc Fabregas has stepped up and become an influential presence in the Gunners’ midfield while Emmanuel Adebayor (right) continues to knock the goals in for fun. Will be looking to avenge their loss to Barcelona in the 2006 final and one of the few clubs with the talent to break down the Milan defence.

Sevilla’s Daniel Alves.

Anything could happen in this tie and it may well be the best chance either club will ever have of making a Champions League quarter final. Fenerbahce have never progressed past the group stages, while Sevilla have never participated in the Champions League, period. The Turkish club has been reinvigorated by the appointment of Brazilian legend Zico and his side fields a nice mixture of Turkish and Brazilian players, led by influential captain Alex.

The loss of manager Juande Ramos to Tottenham could have derailed Sevilla’s Champions League campaign but new boss Manolo Jimenez has the players support, including that of the controversial Daniel Alves (right). Alves publicly criticised Sevilla’s president in August for not allowing him to move to English giant Chelsea. The tragic death of 22-year-old Antonio Puerta, after he suffered a series of heart attack during a La Liga match in late August, appears to have galvanised the squad.

Thierry Henry.

This match has the potential to be the most one-sided of the first knockout stage, the class and creativity of Barcelona against the scrappy and hard-working Celtic. But, as Liverpool showed last year, Barcelona is not unbeatable by any stretch and it may just be the grit and determination of Celtic that could undo the Spanish giants. Ronaldinho has the ability to decide this tie but his form of late has been poor by his high standards and summer signing Thierry Henry (left) has been slow to find his feet at Barcelona.

Celtic were lucky to make the group stages, surviving a penalty shootout with Spartak Moscow in the qualifying rounds, and surprised many pundits by qualifying for the knockout stages from a tough group. Gordon Strachan has managed to put together a better than decent side and Celtic has the advantage of a home game in the second leg. But unless their defence holds firm at the Nou Camp, the tie could be well and truly over by that stage.

Cristiano Ronaldo.

The French champion has been a mainstay in the Champions League for the past five or six seasons without ever progressing past the quarter final stage. Lyon snuck through the group stage thanks to a last round victory over Rangers and don’t appear to have the goods to challenge either Manchester United or Europe’s other big clubs. The French side has been hurt badly by the summer sales of Tiago, Malouda and Abidal and relies on captain Juninho, who is renowned for his free kicks.

The Red Devils are in impressive form in the Premier League, largely thanks to superstar Cristiano Ronaldo (left). The mercurial Portuguese has so far scored 19 league goals and is on track to eclipse Matt Le Tissier’s record of goals in a Premier League season by a midfielder, which stands at 25. He has been ably assisted by Carlos Tevez, who will be relishing the opportunity to compete in the knockout rounds of the Champions League for the first time.