Khan: I knew Jens clash was coming

Oliver Kahn tried to play down his possible rivalry with his German rival Jens Lehmann today as Arsenal and Bayern Munich were drawn together in the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Although the highlight of the round is undoubtedly Jose Mourinho's return to Barcelona, one of his previous clubs and the draw he most wanted, the prospect of Lehmann versus Kahn is equally enticing.

The pair have been involved in a long-running feud over who is Germany's No1 and is certain to be reignited if Lehmann is restored to the Arsenal starting line-up when the sides meet at the end of February. He has been relegated to the bench by Spaniard Manuel Almunia.

And today Kahn said he predicted the pair would come face to face. "It was clear that Jens and I were not going to miss out on this. We both knew instinctively that this was coming at us. Of course the whole thing is going to be talked up but at the end of the day it is Arsenal versus Bayern and not Kahn v Lehmann.

"There are 10 other players on the pitch on both sides who will make the difference."

While most eyes turned to the goalkeepers, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was more concerned with Bayern's attacking threat.

He said: "They are a team with all the big stars in Germany, the kind of players who can make a difference. Up front they have Claudio Pizzaro, who is an excellent striker. They also have Roy Maakay. We faced him when he played for Deportivo La Coruna a few years ago and he scored against us. He is a very dangerous player.