Uefa Champions League Draw: Premier League clubs to learn last-16 opponents in Friday's draw
The Uefa Champions League Draw is set for Friday at 11am in Swizerland, with 16 teams remaining and six Premier League clubs in the hat. Newcastle progress to join Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham in the last 16; every team now has its potential opponents narrowed to two possibilities and seeded status will determine who plays the second leg at home.
Uefa Champions League Draw: logistics and scheduling
The draw on Friday will determine the last 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals. The round of 16 match schedule will be available on Friday evening. The quarter-final match schedule will be confirmed on March 19, while the semi-final schedule will be communicated on April 16. Live coverage will begin from 11am on Friday.
Which Premier League clubs are involved in the Uefa Champions League Draw
Six English clubs have progressed to the last 16: Newcastle, Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham. Newcastle (the Magpies) will face Chelsea or Barcelona in a last-16 tie, depending on how the draw pairs the teams. At the start of the week, English sides knew their opponents would be one of four sides; with the midweek play-offs concluding, that has been reduced to two possibilities for Friday's draw.
Confirmed last-16 possibilities for the English clubs
Seeded (finished in top eight of league phase) and Unseeded (knockout phase play-off winners) status applies across the draw. The specific last-16 oppositions now listed for the English clubs are:
- Arsenal: Bayer Leverkusen or Atalanta
- Chelsea: Newcastle or PSGL
- Liverpool: Atletico Madrid or Galatasaray
- Man City: Bodo/Glimt or Real Madrid
- Newcastle: Chelsea or Barcelona
- Tottenham: Atletico Madrid or Galatasaray
Liverpool now know they will meet either Atletico Madrid or Galatasaray in the last 16. Galatasaray emerged as the winners from their two-legged knockout play-off tie with Juventus on Wednesday night. Atletico had secured their place in the Round of 16 by overcoming Club Brugge on aggregate on Tuesday evening.
Match dates and Liverpool specifics
Liverpool progressed from the league phase as a seeded qualifier in third place and will be paired with either the Spanish or Turkish club during the draw on Friday. The first leg of the last-16 tie is scheduled to be played on March 10/11 and the return fixture at Anfield on March 17/18.
Possible domestic matchups and paths through the draw
Teams can be drawn against opponents from their own country and against opponents they have already faced in the competition. The sides which didn't require a play-off are seeded and will play the second leg of their last-16 ties at home; Arsenal, by virtue of topping the league phase standings, will get to play the second leg at home for as far as they progress in the competition.
The earliest opportunity for two English sides to meet is in the last 16, when Newcastle could come up against Chelsea. The earliest opportunity for any other all-English meetings is in the quarter-finals, when Manchester City could meet Arsenal, and when Chelsea or Newcastle could meet Tottenham or Liverpool.
What to watch on draw day
Every team's potential opponents have been narrowed to two possibilities ahead of Friday's draw. Seeded and unseeded designations will decide who plays home second in the last 16, and the draw will immediately set possible all-English routes as well as cross-border pairings. With the midweek play-offs concluded, the field is final and the draw at 11am in Swizerland will convert the remaining permutations into concrete last-16 ties.
