What Channel Is Champions League Draw On Today

NYON, SWITZERLAND - AUGUST 08: Draw balls are shuffled during the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League Play-off round draw at the UEFA headquarters, The House of European Football on August 8, 2014 in Nyon, Switzerland. (Photo by Harold Cunningham/Getty Images)

Harold Cunningham/Getty Images

Supporters from across the continent will be glued to their television and laptop screens, with the draw for the last 16 of the 2014 Champions League set to be made in Nyon, Switzerland.

These occasions are often bloated with glitz and unnecessarily strung out, but there's no denying that the draw is essential viewing for football fans. Given the calibre of teams remaining in the competition, the first round of knockout matches always conjures some fascinating storylines and can set a critical early precedent for those looking to go all the way to the final.

Here's all the information you need on where to catch the draw live and a rundown of the various permutations to be aware of when the balls are plucked out of the hat at UEFA headquarters.

Date: Monday, Dec. 15

Start Time: 11 a.m. GMT, 6 a.m. ET

TV Info: Sky Sports News HQ

Live Stream: Sky Go App, UEFA.com

Ahead of the draw, here's a look at the 16 sides that qualified for the knockout stages of this fascinating competition:

Champions League: Group Winners and Runners-Up
	Winners	Runners-Up
Group A	Atletico Madrid	Juventus
Group B	Real Madrid	Basel
Group C	Monaco	Bayer Leverkusen
Group D	Borussia Dortmund	Arsenal
Group E	Bayern Munich	Manchester City
Group F	Barcelona	Paris Saint-Germain
Group G	Chelsea	Schalke
Group H	Porto	Shakhtar Donetsk
BBC Sport

The ties will be played over two legs.The first legs will be played onFeb.17, 18, 24 and 25. The second legs will be played on March 10, 11, 17 and 18.

Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal will be the three teams representing the Premier League in the draw, but they won't be going up against each other in the last 16 of the competition, nor will any teams from the same domestic league.

The likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona will be kept apart in the last-16. Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Once the tournament moves into the quarter-final however, the sides can be drawn against their respective divisional counterparts, meaning we could see the likes of Manchester City versus Chelsea, Barcelona versus Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich versus Borussia Dortmund once we've passed this round.

Another permutation to be aware of ahead of the draw is that the group winners will be kept apart, as will the group runners-up. It's at this stage of the competition during which a team like Arsenal—who have failed to top their group once again—could bemoan their poor results earlier in the season, as the likes of Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid potentially lie in wait.

Wenger will be hoping for a bit of luck in the draw. Paul Gilham/Getty Images

With that in mind, it is perhaps little surprise that Gunners boss Arsene Wenger admitted he was hoping for some divine inspiration with the draw looming large. "We have been well served in recent years," he said, per Gill Clark of Goal.com. "Maybe I will go to church over the weekend."

On the flip-side, there are a host of group winners that potentially have some very tricky ties in store in the last 16 given the sides that failed to top their group. The champions of England, Italy and France were all runners-up after all, meaning City, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain are undeniably the ones to avoid for group winners in the first knockout round.

City are a team the group winners will be hoping to avoid. Julian Finney/Getty Images

The three Spanish sides remaining in the draw—all of who topped their respective groups—will certainly be looking to steer clear of those aforementioned sides, as noted here by Artiz Gabilondo of AS:

It's felt, at lEast on paper, that, Manchester City, Arsenal, Juventus and PSG are stronger opponents than FC Basel, Bayer Leverkusen, Schalke 04 and Shakhtar.

Real Madrid could face any of these four having not coincided with any of these teams in the group stage. Barcelona can't face PSG nor can Atlético draw Juventus as they played together in their respective group phase. By the same token, Madrid can't face the Swiss side.

It's quite feasible; therefore that one of the stronger sides comes up against one of Spain's representatives, all three being in Pot A of the draw with all three clubs winning their group phase.

Could the holders be set for a difficult draw in the last-16? Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images

Those teams that have finished top of their group also have the luxury of playing the second game of these these two-legged affairs at home.

It may not seem much of an advantage at first glance, but in a competition renowned for being decided on incredibly fine margins, knowing what needs to be done in front of your own supporters and potentially playing extra-time and taking penalties in front of them can give a team a vital, decisive edge.