James Horncastle
Italian football expert on the Euro League podcast

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On Italian clubs being successful in Europe in the past few years...

In that three-to-five year period of success and going far in these competitions.

There is not a sound foundation and a coherent movement that Italian football is moving in the right direction.

All of a sudden, Uefa wanted a third competition, a Conference League, and Italian clubs have been good in that Conference League.

You could say in the last three-to five years has been an overachievement. This year it feels like they have underachieved.

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I sort of like it Tom.

In your scenario, Liverpool would play Club Brugge. Arsenal would take on Benfica. Villa would be facing Dortmund.

James Horncastle
Italian football expert on the Football Daily podcast

There were five Italian teams in the Champions League, one more than everyone else. They had five because it reflected their status as a nation in the UEFA coefficient.

You could say this season is a blip. Certainly there are circumstances in each of these games which are unique to each tie rather than a broader trend in Seria A.

With AC Milan, Zlatan Ibrahimic, a senior advisor at AC Milan said "killed themselves" in their tie with Feyenoord.

AC Milan, like Atalanta were in the top eight, Milan went down to 10 men against Zagreb and then lost.

Atalanta were unlucky to fall out of the top eight.

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Here's how the knockout bracket looks so far...

Reposting this from earlier...

This handy video we made at the start of the season tells you all you need to know about this year's Champions League as a whole:

As for the last 16 in particular, today's draw will decide who the seeded teams - the ones who finished first to eighth in the league phase - will face in the last 16 and which half of the draw they go into.

Read more here, including who Liverpool, Arsenal and Aston Villa can face.

Noni Madueke out until at least the international break and Chelsea are still targeting top four.

That's the Blues' press conference done. Now, time to build up to the Champions League last 16 draw...

Chelsea

Finally from Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca on Chelsea's morale: "The team spirit in this moment has to be upset.

"We have to be upset because we are not happy with the results. We are all aware we are in a club where we are not here to survive, but to fight to win titles.

"They are the same players that for 19-20 games were top four, second for the most part of the season.

"After this moment, they're going to be better players and better professionals."

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Chelsea

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca on Chelsea's targets: "We spent almost the season in the top four and with 13 games to go, the target, for sure, is top four.

"We will try our best to achieve that. Knowing the difficult moment we have now. Five or six significant players out.

“I'm here to win games and bring this club fighting for titles. The problem is when you win games, you look humble and when you don't win games, you look like a lack of ambition.

"My intention is to bring this club where it needs to be.”

On backing from the owners: "It's nice. I really appreciate it, the relationship with the club. They always support me. The sporting directors, the owners, all of the club."

Chelsea

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca on Aston Villa: “Since the new project with [Unai] Emery, doing fantastic.

"You can see in the Champions League, they finished in the first eight and they're fighting to finish in the top four this season.

"The team is very good. And the manager is one of the best managers.”

Chelsea

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca on injuries: “We don't have any update on the injuries. We don't have additional injuries. Noni [Madueke] will be out until the international break, probably."

On Madueke's return: "Probably after the international break, we can have most of the players back, maybe all of them and for us it can be a big boost.”

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Chelsea

Enzo Maresca is next in the hot seat!

Maresca's men have lost two games on the bounce, both to Brighton, one of which saw them exit from the FA Cup.

Chelsea have dropped to sixth in the league and they'll be looking for valuable points when they travel to Aston Villa tomorrow evening.

Some Chelsea fan views are: "no real leader figure", "experience is lacking" and "no Plan B".

Will Maresca galvanise fan support with a win against Villa?

Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler on James Milner potentially returning before the end of the season: "If someone can do it, it's James. He's a special character, who has a special work ethic and mindset, so we will see whether we we will him back on the pitch.

"At the moment, he's doing very well in rehab and training very well. He's also very supportive not just for the players who are playing but also for me and the coaching staff. We are very happy he's around us but the most important thing is getting him back on the pitch."

Brighton & Hove Albion

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Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler says Pervis Estupinan and Solly March are "options for selection" tomorrow but Lewis Dunk is "doubtful".

Speaking more on Dunk, he said: "It's an injury and an issue where I can't say whether it will take two weeks or three weeks. Everyone who knows Lewis, know he's trying really hard to get back to the training pitch as quickly as possible but at the moment he's in a lot of pain day by day in an area near the ribs."

Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler on the chance of European football: "We have clear goals and a clear vision but of course, it's an internal thing and as I always say we take it game by game. It's important now to keep the momentum, we've worked hard for it as nothing flies to us, we have to invest to get the results."

Brighton & Hove Albion

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Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler on his team's work ethic: "It's about our performance, it's about improving ourselves. Tomorrow we have the chance to push our limits and show that we are going the right way."

On Southampton: "In the end, we play at Southampton, but we play at our own standards, pushing our own limits. There is no difference in our approach, no matter the opponent."

Brighton & Hove Albion

And here's Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler...

Newcastle United

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe on how certain he is there won't be a repeat of the disappointment in the loss against Manchester City: "There are no certainties in football, that I can say with no doubt. But I think there is an understanding that we didn't perform. There is an understanding of what we didn't do well enough. We have certainly covered that with the players and we are expecting a big response."

And on Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood: "I think he has been outstanding. Chris, when he came to us, helped us in a really difficult situation fighting relegation. We felt we need a focal point in that position. Somebody who could take a lot of pressure off of us as a team and give us a physical presence. I thought he did all of those things and was outstanding for the team.

"Probably under-estimated how much he affected our style and play. Then with Alex's [Isak] return to fitness and Callum's [Wilson] arrival he ended up moving on. Delighted for him on a personal level because he is a great character, gave everything for us."

Newcastle United

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Newcastle manager Eddie Howe was also asked for a fitness update on Sven Botman: "I don't think he will be fit and available for this weekend. We are going to have to see how things stand over the weekend for next week. That is bar a miracle recovery for this weekend.

"He is making progress but just not as quickly as we wanted him to. He is very much on track, just not quite ready."

And he added on the injured Joelinton: "He is doing really well. Pushing, as Joe always does. We just need to make sure we introduce him at the right time."