Ucl Draw: the ucl draw sets Man City v Real Madrid and Chelsea v PSG in last-16
The ucl draw has produced high-profile last-16 ties that reshape the route to the 2025-26 Champions League final in Budapest's Puskas Arena. Manchester City were drawn against Real Madrid, while Chelsea will face Paris Saint-Germain — matchups that will have immediate consequence for both European and domestic schedules.
Ucl Draw hands Manchester City a repeat meeting with Real Madrid for a March doubleheader
The draw pairs Real Madrid with Manchester City in a heavyweight round of 16 that will take place as a doubleheader next month. The tie comes after the two clubs met in recent seasons — the pair have met in each of the past four seasons and also played a league phase tie in Madrid in December — and historically City and Real have beaten each other five times, with five draws.
The round of 16 first legs are scheduled for March 10-11 and the second legs for March 17-18, setting a compressed window for the clash en route to the final in Budapest's Puskas Arena. Both clubs will regard a round of 16 exit as calamitous given their stated ambitions.
Chelsea v PSG in the Silver Path as Rosenior faces a showdown with Luis Enrique
Chelsea were drawn against reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain in the Silver Path. PSG are expected to have Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele and midfielder Fabian Ruiz back from injury for the tie, while only keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma — now at Manchester City — will be absent from PSG's strongest team last season.
Chelsea beat PSG in last summer's FIFA Club World Cup final in New Jersey, a result PSG will seek to avenge. Commentators expect a huge step-up for Chelsea's coach Liam Rosenior against Luis Enrique; one view in the context is that the tie should go in PSG's favor, noting that Chelsea have talent but are not at the same level as PSG and will find it tough over two legs. Rosenior also commented on the club's finances after Chelsea posted the highest annual loss ever by an English football club: "My job is to focus on the team, trying to make the team and the squad as strong as possible to win things. I will have those conversations with the ownership and those above me. "
Silver and Blue Paths: Bayern, Atalanta, Barcelona, Newcastle and more
The Silver Path groups Real Madrid, Manchester City, PSG and Chelsea with Bayern Munich, Atalanta, Liverpool and Galatasaray — only one of those sides will make it to the final. The Blue Path includes Barcelona, Newcastle, Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen, Bodo/Glimt, Sporting CP, Atletico Madrid and Tottenham, creating a separate route for a finalist.
Galatasaray v Liverpool recall Istanbul drama and travel concerns
Galatasaray's tie with Liverpool carries fresh reminders of last season: Victor Osimhen's penalty in Istanbul last September sealed a 1-0 league phase win for Galatasaray against Liverpool, and that defeat was one of four straight in all competitions for Arne Slot's side. Galatasaray were strong at home in qualifying — they beat Juventus 5-2 on home turf in the first leg of their playoff tie — but they have a woeful record on European travels and have only won once in England, against Manchester United in November, 2023.
Despite Liverpool's inconsistency this season, they are viewed as strong favorites to progress if they avoid a significant defeat in Turkey. Osimhen remains a threat, and Galatasaray's squad features former Premier League players Leroy Sane, Ilkay Gundogan and Mario Lemina, who might help the Turkish side overcome past difficulties in England.
Europa, Conference draws and Premier League reaction; Carrick outlines United team news
The continental draws also produced ties across other competitions: the Europa League draw paired Nottingham Forest with Midtjylland and Aston Villa with Lille, while the Conference League draw set Crystal Palace to face AEK Larnaca.
Premier League managers were speaking on Friday after the Champions League draw was made, including Chelsea's Liam Rosenior and Arsenal's Mikel Arteta. Domestic team news items named Cucurella, Alcaraz and Doku as back in training, while Wirtz and Frimpong, Guimaraes and Miley, and Lewis Cook were also listed in the roundup.
Ahead of Man Utd v Crystal Palace (Sun, 14: 00 GMT), interim Manchester United boss Michael Carrick addressed several topics. On Harry Maguire, with his contract expiring in the summer, Carrick said it is "hard to put a price on experience. " On injuries, Carrick said of Mason Mount and Matthijs Mount De Ligt: "Mason is getting closer, he’s on the grass, he’s looking to be around it pretty soon. We've had to be patient; he’s a good player, so we’re looking after him and making sure he’s ready for a big finish to the season. " He added: "Matthijs has had a back issue, which has been a bit slow to progress. It’s something we’ve been working through, he’s in the right direction, but a bit further behind. " Carrick continued: "It's the nature of the injury, the issue in the back, it’s a difficult one to pin down time-wise. He’s definitely improving. " On his forwards he said: "I don’t think we’ve played a false nine, I think Bryan Mbeumo has played high on the last line a lot of the time. We've played in different ways. Four points in two games away from home isn’t so bad, being able to change it from the bench is a real strength. " He stressed the mental side too: "it's important for a player's mind to be clear and for them to know their jobs when going out onto the pitch. He adds that he tries to do this in the simplest way. "
Written by Charlotte Coates, Adwaidh Rajan, George Booth & Ailsa Cowen.
