Ahead of the draw for the last 16 on Monday, Goal evaluates all of the remaining challengers in this season's competition
Getty Images16Roma
Roma may have reached the semi-finals of last season's tournament but a repeat showing looks highly unlikely right now after picking up just nine points in a very soft group.
Indeed, even though Real Madrid have been mediocre at best, the Giallorossi were beaten home and away by the Blancos, conceding five unanswered goals in the process.
Roma only progressed by winning three of their four games against minnows CSKA Moscow and Viktoria Plzen but the final-round loss to the latter only served to ramp up the pressure on coach Eusebio di Francesco and his maddeningly inconsistent side, who are struggling in Serie A.
In Edin Dzeko, the Italians still possess one of the most effective no.9s in world football, while teenager midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo looks a major find, but Roma are weak at the back, a problem exacerbated by the loss of the world-class Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson and his subsequent replacement with the sub-standard Robin Olsen.
Advertisement15Manchester United
So far have standards fallen at Old Trafford, Manchester United probably deserve credit for finishing as runners-up in a group containing Juventus, Valencia and Young Boys.
However, the unimpressive manner of their qualification suggests Jose Mourinho's men have next-to-no chance of actually winning the title, given the manager still doesn't know his best centre-half pairing, has fallen out with his best midfielder, Paul Pogba, and has only Marcus Rashford firing in attack.
Indeed, things were looking grim after their loss at home to Juventus on matchday three but the unlikeliest of late comebacks after being dominated in Turin turned their entire campaign around, while they were also indebted to Marouane Fellaini for an injury-time winner in their crucial clash with Young Boys.
Still, the error-prone performance in defeat at Mestalla – summed up by Phil Jones' own goal – underlined that Mourinho is a man with many problems to address between now and February… if he lasts that long, of course.
getty images14Schalke
A sold but unspectacular side, Schalke reached the last 16 by scoring just six goals in six games. Crucially, though, they only conceded four, and three of those came in their one defeat, in Porto.
There is talent at the Veltins-Arena. Youngsters Breel Embolo and Weston McKennie are players of real potential, Yevhen Konoplyanka is a very dangerous opponent on his day, while Matija Nastasic was one of the best centre-halves on show in the group stage.
However, Schalke's domestic form – they are currently 13th in the Bundesliga – suggests that Domenico Tedesco lacks the strength in depth to take his team far into the competition.
Indeed, given they cannot be paired again with Porto or another German side, there will be no easy draw in the last 16 for the Gelsenkirchen outfit, who will face either Barcelona, Manchester City, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid.
Getty Images13Lyon
What a bizarre group-stage campaign for Lyon, who didn't lose a single game yet won just one.
The French side drew five times in total and only progressed thanks to Nabil Fekir's fine, second-half equaliser away to Shakhtar Donetsk on matchday six.
Still, nobody would begrudge Lyon their place in the last 16, given they took four points off favourites Manchester City.
Indeed, after two thrillingly bold and adventurous outings against the Premier League champions, they were only denied a maximum haul by Sergio Aguero's late leveller in France.
Lyon aren't among the favourites but whoever draws Bruno Genesio's side will be rightly wary of a team containing talent such as France international Fekir, a resurgent Memphis Depay, the exciting and unpredictable Moussa Dembele and colossal midfielder Tanguy Ndombele.