Ucl Draw: Chelsea to Face PSG, Man City Drawn With Real Madrid as Six Premier League Sides Advance
The latest ucl draw delivered high-profile matchups: Chelsea will face holders Paris Saint-Germain while Manchester City have been paired with Real Madrid, marking a fifth straight season the sides meet in the knockout phase. The draw matters because it sets immediate, heavyweight tests for Premier League representatives and maps clear pathways to the final at the Puskás Arena in Budapest on Saturday, 30 May.
Ucl Draw: Full last-16 matchups
- Chelsea v Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)
- Manchester City v Real Madrid
- Arsenal v Bayer Leverkusen
- Newcastle United v Barcelona
- Liverpool v Galatasaray
- Tottenham Hotspur v Atlético Madrid
Fixture dates and home legs
The first legs of these last-16 ties will be played on 10 and 11 March, with second legs scheduled for 17 and 18 March. Newcastle are at home for their first leg against Barcelona; the Premier League rivals that qualified automatically will be at home for their second legs.
High-stakes narratives from the draw
Chelsea versus PSG is a rematch with a recent history: the sides met in last year's Fifa Club World Cup final in New Jersey, where Chelsea won 3-0. That Club World Cup victory featured two goals from Cole Palmer and came with a Chelsea side assembled under Enzo Maresca. Chelsea's director of football, David Barnard, stressed the tie will be tough but not something to fear, urging a game-by-game focus and describing the assignment as a strong opener.
Manchester City’s meeting with Real Madrid continues a recurring European rivalry: it is the fifth straight season the clubs meet in the knockout phase. City’s win in Madrid in December formed part of a sequence that reached a ninth meeting between the sides since April 2022. City’s director of football, Hugo Viana, described the tie as a big game for both teams, likening it to a final and welcoming the challenge.
Liverpool travel for a rematch with Galatasaray that will return them to Istanbul; Arne Slot’s side lost 1-0 in Turkey during a September league-phase meeting. Liverpool’s ambassador Ian Rush highlighted the advantage of having the second leg at home, pointing to Anfield’s atmosphere as a potential factor.
Routes to the quarter-finals and broader implications
The route to the final is already set on the bracket. If Newcastle and Tottenham both progress, they would meet in the quarter-finals; Chelsea and Liverpool occupy the other quarter-final path and would meet in the same half if both advance. Should Arsenal get past Bayer Leverkusen, they would meet the winner of Bodø/Glimt versus Sporting in the quarter-finals. The bracket also allows permutations in which domestic and continental rematches could re-emerge in later rounds.
Arsenal finished the league phase as the only team to win all eight group games, with Bayern Munich three points behind in second. Statistical projections place Arsenal as clear favourites to win this season’s competition, assigning them a 27. 40% chance, with Bayern ranked next at 14. 28%.
Additional context and notable personnel details
Several narrative threads add texture to the ties: Tottenham’s meeting with Atlético Madrid reunites Conor Gallagher with his former club after he joined Spurs from Atlético in January. Tottenham may be managing priorities around domestic survival while contesting Europe. Atlético coach Diego Simeone and Tottenham’s Igor Tudor know their sides are competing for a quarter-final slot against either Barcelona or Newcastle; continued progression for Spurs could even set up a north London semi-final with Arsenal.
Newcastle’s last-16 clash with Barcelona carries historical echoes: memories of Sir Bobby Robson and Faustino Asprilla’s three-goal performance at St James’ Park in a 3-2 European victory in 1997 are part of the backdrop. The two clubs also met at St James’ Park in September, with Hansi Flick’s side winning that league-phase encounter 2-1 thanks to two goals from Marcus Rashford—details that will feed into the rivalry ahead of the knockout tie.
Other continental pairings beyond the Champions League include a Europa League tie pairing Nottingham Forest with Midtjylland. In the Champions League bracket, hypothetical later clashes could see Pep Guardiola’s City reunite with Bayern Munich if various results fall into place, with references made to Bayern’s potential last-16 opponent Atalanta in that scenario.
Overall, the ucl draw has produced high-profile repeat fixtures, domestic reunions and a clear calendar leading to an end-of-season showpiece in Budapest on 30 May. Details and preparations will evolve as clubs assess legs, travel and squad priorities heading into March.
