Champions League Draw: Chelsea to Face PSG, Man City Set for Real Madrid Rematch in Last 16
The champions league draw has delivered high-stakes matchups: Chelsea will meet holders Paris St-Germain in the last 16 while Manchester City are paired with Real Madrid for a fifth successive knockout meeting. The draw shapes a knockout phase in which six Premier League clubs advance but will not face one another at this stage, and it sets a calendar that leads to a late-May final in Budapest.
Champions League Draw: Last-16 fixtures and schedule
The draw produced a set of last-16 ties that includes Arsenal v Bayer Leverkusen, Newcastle United v Barcelona, Liverpool v Galatasaray and Tottenham v Atletico Madrid alongside Chelsea v Paris St-Germain and Manchester City v Real Madrid. The first legs are scheduled for 10 and 11 March, with second legs on 17 and 18 March. Newcastle will be at home for their first leg against Barcelona; the Premier League rivals are all at home for their second legs, having qualified automatically for the last 16.
Chelsea v PSG — a rematch from New Jersey
Chelsea will play PSG, who are the current Champions League holders, in a pairing that also recalls recent silverware meetings: the tie is a rematch of last year’s Club World Cup final, when Chelsea beat the European champions 3-0 in New Jersey. Chelsea’s director of football, David Barnard, said the tie will be tough but not one to fear, urging a game-by-game approach and calling the draw a strong opener for his team.
Man City and Real Madrid: a fifth straight meeting
Manchester City will face Real Madrid in the knockout stages for a fifth straight season. City’s win in Madrid in December is noted as their ninth meeting with Real since April 2022. Hugo Viana, City’s director of football, described the matchup as a big game for both teams and likened it to a final, expressing satisfaction at returning to that fixture once more.
Premier League representation and individual ties
Six Premier League clubs advanced to the last 16, yet the draw produced no all-English ties. Arsenal, who finished top of the league phase as the only team to win all eight games, will face Bayer Leverkusen. Newcastle United were drawn against Barcelona, Liverpool will take on Galatasaray and Tottenham drew Atletico Madrid. Newcastle are home for the first leg, while the other Premier League clubs have home advantage in their second legs.
Quotes and home-leg implications
Liverpool’s ambassador Ian Rush highlighted the significance of playing the second leg at Anfield, saying the home atmosphere is second to none and hoping it will be an advantage. The pattern of home legs—Newcastle first leg at home, others at home in the return—frames tactical planning for all Premier League entrants.
Route to the final, probabilities and the Puskás Arena finale
The route to the final is already mapped: if Newcastle and Tottenham both progress, they would meet in one quarter-final, while Chelsea and Liverpool would meet in the other half of the draw. The final is set to be played at the Puskás Arena in Budapest, Hungary, on Saturday, 30 May. Arsenal’s place as the only perfect team in the league phase positions them as favourites in statistical models: Opta give Mikel Arteta’s team a 27. 40% chance of being crowned European champions for the first time, with Bayern Munich ranked next best at 14. 28%. If Arsenal get past Leverkusen, they would face either Sporting or Bodo/Glimt in the quarter-finals.
Man City, Newcastle and Liverpool all met their last-16 opponents during the league phase of this season’s competition, reinforcing familiar matchups as the competition moves to knockout football. Details in some areas remain operational or unclear in the provided context, but the calendar and pairings are set and will unfold across the March legs en route to the late-May final.
