Champions League Draw hands clearer paths to top seeds — who in England feels the impact first

The champions league draw matters now because it does more than name opponents: it fixes which side of the bracket each club occupies and therefore who stands to benefit from new seeding rules. Premier League clubs already in the hat will learn immediate quarter-final and semi-final routes at 11: 00 GMT on Friday, and the play-off winners will join them to complete the 16-team knockout picture.

Champions League Draw reshapes advantage — immediate impact on planning and home legs

Here’s the part that matters: the draw will allocate a side of the bracket for every team, meaning clubs will know possible quarter-final, semi-final and final opponents from the moment the last-16 pairings are set. That bracket clarity changes teams’ short-term planning — travel, rotation and tactical allocation — because seeded positions now carry layered advantages into later rounds.

Timing, location and the match calendar

The champions league draw will be held from 11: 00 GMT on Friday, February 27, in Nyon. Last-16 first legs are scheduled for either 10 or 11 March, with the reverse fixtures on 17 or 18 March. The final for the 2025-26 season will be hosted at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary on 30 May. Live coverage of the draw will be available from 11: 00 GMT on Friday.

Who is already in the hat and recent play-off movement

Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur were already confirmed among the top-eight league-phase finishers in the pot. Newcastle was on course to reach the last 16 after a 6-1 win over Qarabag in their play-off first leg and went on to progress, winning 9-3 on aggregate. Newcastle will face either Chelsea or Barcelona in their last-16 tie once the draw is made.

Seeding rules and the new multi-round inheritance mechanics

Eight winners of the two-legged knockout-phase play-offs will join the top-eight finishers from the league phase to form the round of 16. From that point the competition adopts a knockout format with each tie other than the final contested over two legs. As with the play-offs, teams' final ranking in the league phase will influence seeding in the last 16: seeded sides (those finishing in the top eight of the league phase) are given the advantage of playing the second leg at home.

Notably, this is the first season in which league-phase finishing positions also influence seeding for the quarter-finals and semi-finals. Teams finishing first to fourth will be seeded for the quarter-finals and thus get the home advantage in their quarter-final second legs. The two sides finishing top and runner-up will also be seeded for the semi-finals and would play the second leg of a semi at home, should they reach that stage. If a seeded team fails to progress, the team that knocks them out inherits their seeding position.

Possible match-ups and confirmed opponent pools

• Arsenal (top seeds) will be drawn against one of Olympiakos, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen or Atalanta.
• Liverpool and Tottenham, who finished third and fourth respectively, will meet either Atletico Madrid, Club Brugge, Galatasaray or Juventus.
• Separately noted, Liverpool will meet one of Atletico Madrid, Galatasaray or Juventus.
• Manchester City will be drawn against one of Bodo/Glimt, Inter Milan, Real Madrid or Benfica.

Liverpool sealed automatic progression by finishing third in the league phase; in principle the Reds will be away for the first leg on 10 or 11 March and will host the return at Anfield on 17 or 18 March.

Play-off outcomes that shape the hat

Recent play-off results and second-leg situations have narrowed several ties down to two possible opponents for the clubs already in the last 16. Atletico Madrid set up a last-16 tie with either Tottenham or Liverpool. Bodo/Glimt eliminated Inter Milan and will face either Manchester City or Sporting. Bayer Leverkusen will play either Bayern Munich or Arsenal. Paris Saint-Germain hold a 3-2 lead before hosting Monaco, with the winner set to face Chelsea or Barcelona. Galatasaray have a 5-2 advantage over Juventus for the chance to play Liverpool or Tottenham. Real Madrid lead Benfica 1-0 and can set up a tie with Sporting or Manchester City. Borussia Dortmund have a 2-0 lead over Atalanta for the right to play Arsenal or Bayern Munich.

At the start of the week, English sides that progressed to the last 16 knew their opponents would be one of four teams; with midweek play-offs concluding that number has been reduced to two for Friday’s draw.

• Newcastle could meet Chelsea in the last 16 — the earliest possible all-English meeting.
• Other potential all-English matchups are tied to the quarter-finals: Manchester City could meet Arsenal, and Chelsea or Newcastle could meet Tottenham or Liverpool.

The real question now is how clubs will react tactically once the bracket is set and seeded advantages are allocated.

• Seeded status affects who plays the second leg at home at multiple stages.
• Bracket placement gives clubs advance sight of potential quarter/semi opponents, changing short-term preparations.
• Several play-off ties have already reduced opponent pools from four to two for many seeded sides.
• Key fixtures — first legs on 10/11 March and returns on 17/18 March — set a compact window for teams to plan rotations.

It’s easy to overlook, but the change that allows league-phase position to carry seeding into quarters and semis is the biggest structural shift here and will ripple through club strategy across the knockout rounds.

Final note: the draw in Nyon on Friday, 27 February at 11: 00 GMT will confirm the full bracket for last 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals; details and outcomes from the remaining play-off second legs will determine several last-16 pairings that are currently down to two possibilities. Schedule subject to change; some play-off ties remain unresolved in the provided context.