Ucl Draw: Chelsea handed PSG rematch as Manchester City set to meet Real Madrid

The Champions League last-16 ucl draw produced a cluster of heavyweight ties that reshape the knockout map, with Chelsea drawn against holders Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City paired with Real Madrid. The draw matters now because it fixes dates, venues and potential quarter-final routes for six Premier League clubs and the road to the Puskás Arena final.

Chelsea v Paris Saint‑Germain rekindles last summer’s Club World Cup final

Chelsea will play holders Paris Saint‑Germain in the last 16, a rematch of last year’s Club World Cup final in New Jersey when Chelsea beat the European champions 3-0. That Club World Cup victory featured two goals from Cole Palmer and came with a side managed by Enzo Maresca. Chelsea are also the current holders of the Fifa Club World Cup, while Paris Saint‑Germain are the current holders of the Champions League.

Chelsea’s director of football David Barnard said: "It'll be tough but it holds no fear for us. " He added: "It's too soon to speak about the final, we should think game by game. Now we have a strong opener to face. " Liam Rosenior, identified as Maresca’s successor, said: "I'm so excited. PSG are fantastic. I’ve experience of playing them in France [as Strasbourg manager] and I’ve always admired them. Luis Enrique has done a fantastic job there. These are the games you live for, games that you come into football for. It’s going to be a great tie. " Rosenior has faced PSG three times at Strasbourg, winning one, drawing one and losing one.

Ucl Draw implications for Manchester City and Real Madrid

Manchester City will face Real Madrid in the knockout stages for a fifth straight season. City's win in Madrid in December marked their ninth meeting with Real since April 2022. Hugo Viana, Manchester City's director of football, said: "It's a big game for both teams. It's like a final, we are happy to go there again. " The draw also leaves open a route in which, should Manchester City progress past Real, Pep Guardiola could be set for a potential reunion with Bayern Munich on the basis that Bayern overcome Atalanta in the last 16 (Atalanta noted as Italy’s remaining representative in the competition in the provided context).

Premier League contingent, seedings and concrete matchups

Six Premier League clubs have qualified for the last 16, but there will be no all‑English ties. Arsenal, the league phase leaders, will face Bayer Leverkusen. Newcastle United will meet Barcelona, Liverpool will take on Galatasaray, and Tottenham have been drawn against Atlético Madrid. Arsenal finished top of the league phase as the only team to win all eight games; Bayern Munich finished three points behind in second.

If Arsenal get past Leverkusen they will face either Sporting or Bodø/Glimt in the quarter-finals. Opta rate Mikel Arteta's team as favourites to win this season's competition, giving the Gunners a 27. 40% chance of being crowned European champions for the first time, with Bayern ranked next best at 14. 28%.

Tottenham, described as likely to be prioritising Premier League survival, will meet Atlético Madrid; Conor Gallagher, who joined Spurs from Atlético in January, would face his former club. Atlético’s Diego Simeone and Tottenham’s Igor Tudor know their sides are playing for a quarter-final date against either Barcelona or Newcastle, and should Spurs keep progressing a north London semi-final against Arsenal is a possibility.

Schedule, legs, venues and routes to the Puskás Arena final

The first legs of the last 16 will be played on 10 and 11 March, with the second legs on 17 and 18 March. Newcastle are at home for their first leg with Barcelona. The Premier League clubs that qualified automatically are all at home for their second legs, per the draw details in the provided context.

The route to the final is already known: if Newcastle and Tottenham both progress they would meet in the quarter-finals, and Chelsea and Liverpool would meet in the other half of the draw. The final will be played at the Puskás Arena in Budapest, Hungary, on Saturday, 30 May. Liverpool ambassador Ian Rush said: "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. " Liverpool will return to Istanbul as part of their rematch with Galatasaray; in the league phase Arne Slot’s side lost 1-0 in Turkey in a September meeting.

Europa League and other European ties mentioned in the draw

Elsewhere in European draws, Nottingham Forest have been drawn against Midtjylland; the Danes were boosted by a 3-2 win at the City Ground in the league phase in October. Aston Villa face Lille and are in the same side of the draw as Forest, meaning there is no prospect of an all‑English final, although those sides could clash in the semi-finals. Villa and Lille crossed swords in a Conference League quarter-final two years ago, with Villa prevailing after a rather chaotic penalty shootout featuring some theatrics from an Argentinian goalkee (unclear in the provided context).

The ucl draw has set high‑profile rematches and a tightly packed schedule that now sends teams and supporters toward fixed dates at the last‑16 stage and a final in Budapest.