Potential Last 16 Opponents for Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City in the Champions League
- Five Premier League clubs secured automatic spots in the Champions League Round of 16, while one English side must go through the February play-offs
- The draw structure means several heavyweight European clashes are possible, including ties between clubs from the same country under the new format rules
- If the play-off representative advances, this season could see a record six English teams competing in the Champions League knockout stage
The English clubs now know their potential opponents in the Champions League Round of 16 following the conclusion of the group stage.
Five Premier League teams finished in the top eight, earning automatic progression to the last 16.
Newcastle, on the other hand, drew 1-1 with PSG and will compete in the play-off stage in February, having finished outside the top eight.
Source: Getty Images
According to the BBC, Arsenal had already qualified for the Round of 16 and secured group winner status with a 3-2 victory over Kairat Almaty.
They were joined by Bayern Munich, who finished second in their group after a 2-1 away win at PSV, leaving the Dutch side eliminated from the competition.
Liverpool and Tottenham made it three English clubs in the top four, while Barcelona finished fifth after a 4-1 comeback win over FC Copenhagen.
Chelsea, Sporting Lisbon, and Manchester City rounded out the top eight, with all three winning their respective final group matches against Napoli, Athletic Bilbao, and Galatasaray.
Potential opponents for Arsenal, Chelsea
As group winners, Arsenal, who have benefitted from a UEFA rule change, have been paired with Bayern Munich in the draw bracket.
The Gunners could face Borussia Dortmund, Olympiacos, Atalanta, or Bayer Leverkusen in the Round of 16.
Liverpool, who finished third in their group, will be paired with Tottenham, with the two English clubs set to play against either Club Brugge, Galatasaray, Juventus, or Atletico Madrid in the last 16.
Manchester City, who narrowly finished eighth after their win over Galatasaray, will avoid the play-offs for a second consecutive season. Pep Guardiola’s side have been paired with Sporting Lisbon but could face a tough last-16 tie, with potential opponents including Real Madrid, Bodo/Glimt, Benfica, or Inter Milan.
Chelsea, paired with Barcelona, may face the most challenging draw. Their potential opponents include Newcastle, Monaco, Qarabag, or reigning champions PSG.
All automatic qualifiers - Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, and Manchester City - will play their last-16 ties at home, giving them the advantage in the first leg.
Under the current format, teams finishing ninth to 24th in the group stage enter the play-offs. The 16 teams are seeded, with matchups determined by their finishing positions. Newcastle, finishing ninth, will face either Qarabag or Monaco, who ended the group stage in 22nd and 21st places, respectively.
Should Newcastle progress from the play-offs, it would mark the first time six English clubs compete in the knockout stages of the Champions League. England gained the extra qualification spot through league position and UEFA coefficients, while Tottenham earned their place by winning the Europa League.
The draw for the play-offs will take place on Friday, January 30, at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. Newcastle will have home advantage for the first leg as a seeded team.
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What Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern?
Like Arsenal, Bayern Munich share the same potential last-16 opponents depending on the play-off draw.
Vincent Kompany’s side could face fellow German teams such as Borussia Dortmund or Bayer Leverkusen, now permitted under UEFA rules at this stage.
Barcelona, paired with Chelsea, could meet Paris Saint-Germain in one of the most exciting potential fixtures of the Round of 16, per talkSPORT.
Real Madrid, following their 4-2 defeat in the final group game, must compete in the play-offs.
Álvaro Arbeloa’s side have been paired with Inter Milan and could face Bodo/Glimt or a repeat clash with Benfica. If they advance, they would then potentially face Sporting Lisbon or Manchester City in the Round of 16.
Why all UCL games played same time
YEN.com.gh previously reported that all 18 matches on the final matchday of the UEFA Champions League league phase will kick off at the same time on Wednesday.
Teams finishing in the top eight move straight into the round of 16; those placed ninth to 24th enter the knockout play-offs, while sides ranked 25th to 36th are eliminated.
Source: YEN.com.gh
