Real Madrid keen to avoid Germans
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Celta Vigo's Jose Ignacio (left) celebrates with teammate Eduardo Berizzo.
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MADRID, Spain -- Real Madrid are hoping to avoid German sides VfB Stuttgart and Bayern Munich in Friday's Champions League second round draw.
Spain's quartet of challengers remains intact after Real Sociedad and Deportivo Coruna joined Real Madrid and Celta Vigo among the last 16 on Wednesday.
No other country has four teams left, although only Real Madrid will be seeded in Friday's pairings after winning their group.
Because of restrictions in the draw for the second round, Real have only four possible rivals -- Stuttgart, Bayern Munich, Sparta Prague or Lokomotiv Moscow.
Real, nine-times European champions, are clear favourites to win the competition again but the club are wary of the potential threat of two strong German sides.
"It's obvious that at this stage there are no easy rivals left but if we had to choose we'd go for Sparta Prague or Lokomotiv Moscow," sporting director Jorge Valdano said on Thursday.
"The German sides worry us because they are German."
Sociedad drew 1-1 with Galatasaray to finish second in their group while Deportivo survived despite losing 3-2 at PSV Eindhoven.
On Tuesday, Celta Vigo completed their group games with an impressive 2-1 win over defending champions AC Milan at the San Siro.
"Of the 16 teams that can be champions of Europe, four are Spanish. This is a set of matches which will go down in the history of our soccer," Marca editor Israel Elias wrote on Thursday.
Celta and Sociedad's achievement was all the greater since bother are currently stuck in the bottom four of the Spanish Liga.
"It's a pleasure to fulfill the dream of being among the best in Europe," said Sociedad's French coach Raynald Denoueix.
Celta coach Miguel Angel Lotina said he hoped to draw English champions Manchester United in the next round.
"It's a big club, it has a great stadium and it must be brilliant to win there," said Lotina.
