Champions League Last 16 Draw Set as Arsenal and Man City Discover Possible Opponents
- All 16 remaining clubs in the UEFA Champions League now know their potential last-16 opponents ahead of Friday’s draw in Nyon
- All six Premier League teams - including Newcastle United, Arsenal and Manchester City - remain in contention and could even face domestic rivals in the knockout rounds
- The route to the 30 May final in Budapest has been mapped out, with round-of-16 ties set for March and the semi-finals scheduled for late April and early May
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With the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League play-off round now complete, the 16 remaining clubs have a clearer picture of their possible opponents ahead of Friday’s draw.
A commanding 9–3 aggregate triumph over Qarabağ FK on 24 February ensured Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United joined the rest of the Premier League contingent in the knockout phase draw, which will be staged in Switzerland on Friday.
As a result, all six English representatives remain in the competition.
Source: Getty Images
Newcastle’s round-of-16 opponents will be either Chelsea FC or FC Barcelona. Looking further ahead, they will also find out whether Liverpool FC or Tottenham Hotspur could stand in their way in the quarter-finals.
Should they advance beyond that stage, a semi-final against Manchester City FC or Arsenal FC is also a possibility.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal and Vincent Kompany’s FC Bayern Munich are set to meet either Atalanta BC or Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the last 16.
Owing to their strong league-phase finishes, Arsenal and Bayern are kept apart in the bracket and cannot clash before the final.
Chelsea, meanwhile, will be drawn against either Newcastle or reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain in the next round.
As they pursue a seventh European crown - last secured under Jürgen Klopp in 2019 - Liverpool will face either Atlético Madrid or Galatasaray SK. Igor Tudor’s Spurs could also be matched with one of those two sides.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, along with Sporting CP, may be paired with either FK Bodø/Glimt or 15-time champions Real Madrid CF.
Teams from the same domestic league - including Premier League clubs - are permitted to face each other in any knockout round, even the final.
Having topped the 36-team league phase, Arsenal and Bayern will host the second leg in every knockout tie they play. All top-eight finishers will play the return leg of their round-of-16 matches at home.
Liverpool and Spurs, who ended the league phase third and fourth, would host the second leg of any quarter-final they reach.
The official draw for the round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals will be conducted in Nyon, Switzerland on 27 February.
Round-of-16 fixtures are scheduled for 10/11 March and 17/18 March, followed by quarter-finals on 7/8 April and 14/15 April. The semi-finals will be played on 28/29 April and 5/6 May, before the final takes place in Budapest on 30 May.
Champions League round of 16 permutations:
Arsenal could face Bayer Leverkusen or Atalanta.
Chelsea could face Newcastle or PSG.
Liverpool could face Atletico Madrid or Galatasaray
Man City could face Bodo/Glimt or Real Madrid.
Newcastle could face Chelsea or Barcelona.
Tottenham could face Atletico Madrid or Galatasaray
Real Madrid could face Sporting CP or Manchester City
Barcelona could face PSG or Newcastle
Bayern Munich could face Atalanta or Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen could face Arsenal or Bayern Munich
Sporting CP could face Real Madrid of Bodo/Glimt
Bodo/Glimt could face Sporting CP or Manchester City
Atletico Madrid could face Tottenham or Liverpool
Galatasaray could face Liverpool or Tottenham
Atalanta could face Arsenal or Bayern Munich
PSG could face Chelsea or Barcelona
Source: YEN.com.gh
