Benfica's potential of opponents in the Europa League round of 16

Benfica overcame Galatasaray after following up their 2-1 win in Turkey with a 0-0 draw in Lisbon.

It means that Portugal do still have a representative in Europe's secondary competition, with Sporting crashing out against Villarreal. 

Here, we weigh up the sides Benfica could play in the next round of the competition. 

Teams to avoid

I think there's little doubt that both the two English and the two Italian sides are the ones to avoid. 

More than anything, Portuguese clubs have a generally poor record against English sides, and with both Chelsea and Arsenal  the two British representatives, they face a very tough task of advancing if they draw either.

And in Napoli  and  Inter Milan , you have two sides that were competing in the Champions League earlier this season, both very strong outfits both domestically and in European competition. Napoli would prove particularly difficult, and their place as tournament favourites reflects this.

Another one that Benfica fans will be hoping to avoid is Sevilla.  The most accomplished side in Europa League history, the La Liga outfit have already proven that they excel in this competition, and their victory against Benfica in the final of the competition a few years back remains strong in the memory.

Best case scenario

Of course no match will be easy, although I think most will agree that there are some potential favourable draws that would give Benfica the best possible chance of advancing to the quarter final.

Dinamo Zagreb are a decent side, but after a favourable match to get here, they haven't truly been tested yet. The same goes for Slavia Prague.

You could also say that either of Dynamo Kiev or Rennes would give Benfica a decent chance of progression.

Benfica's potential opponents: Sevilla, Valencia, Villarreal, Frankfurt, Chelsea, Arsenal, Inter, Napoli, Rennes, Zenit, Krasnodar, Dynamo Kiev, Prague, Dinamo Zagreb, Salzburg.