Ucl Draw: Chelsea to face holders PSG as Man City set for Real Madrid rematch
The ucl draw delivered a heavyweight last-16 line-up: Chelsea will play holders Paris St-Germain and Manchester City will meet Real Madrid, with first legs scheduled for 10 and 11 March and second legs on 17 and 18 March.
Ucl Draw highlights: Premier League clubs avoid all-English ties
Six Premier League clubs have qualified for the Champions League last 16, but the ucl draw produced no all-English ties. Arsenal were drawn against Bayer Leverkusen, Newcastle United will meet Barcelona, Liverpool take on Galatasaray and Tottenham will face Atletico Madrid.
Chelsea v PSG: rematch of Club World Cup final
Chelsea will play holders Paris St-Germain in the last 16. The tie is a rematch of last year’s Fifa Club World Cup final, when Chelsea beat PSG 3-0 in New Jersey. "It'll be tough but it holds no fear for us, " said Chelsea's director of football David Barnard. "It's too soon to speak about the final, we should think game by game. Now we have a strong opener to face. "
Man City to face Real again; recent meetings
Manchester City will face Real Madrid in the knockout stages for a fifth straight season. City met Real during the league phase of this season's competition, and City's win in Madrid in December was their ninth meeting with Real since April 2022. "It's a big game for both teams. It's like a final, we are happy to go there again, " said Man City's director of football Hugo Viana.
Newcastle, Liverpool and the draw's route to the final
Newcastle are at home for their first leg with Barcelona, while the Premier League clubs that qualified automatically are all at home for their second legs. The route to the final is already known: if Newcastle and Tottenham both progress, they will meet in the quarter-finals, and Chelsea and Liverpool would meet in the other half of the draw. Liverpool ambassador Ian Rush said of Liverpool's tie: "I think our advantage is that the second leg is at home. I think the atmosphere at Anfield is second to none and, hopefully, that will come into it. "
Arsenal top of the group stage and the path beyond Leverkusen
Arsenal finished top of the league phase, the only team to win all eight games, while Bayern Munich finished three points behind in second. If Arsenal get past Bayer Leverkusen, they will face either Sporting or Bodo/Glimt in the quarter-finals. Opta rate Mikel Arteta's team as favourites to win this season's competition, putting Arsenal's chance at 27. 40% and Bayern Munich as the next best at 14. 28%.
Fixture dates and next confirmed milestone
The Champions League first legs are scheduled for 10 and 11 March, with second legs on 17 and 18 March. The final will be played at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, on Saturday, 30 May. Recovery of the schedule and progress through the rounds will determine the quarter-final match-ups already mapped by the draw.
