Latest News: Champions League last 16 draw sets Chelsea v PSG and Man City v Real Madrid
The Champions League round of 16 draw has paired Chelsea with holders Paris Saint-Germain and again matched Manchester City with Real Madrid, a draw that frames the next phase of the competition and matters because the first legs are scheduled for 10 and 11 March with return fixtures on 17 and 18 March.
Latest News: Chelsea to face Paris Saint-Germain in rematch of Club World Cup final
Chelsea will meet Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16, recreating the matchup from last season'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 difficult but not one to fear, urging a game-by-game approach and noting the quality of their opener. Tactical memory of that Club World Cup victory—when Enzo Maresca’s plan freed Cole Palmer by exploiting Nuno Mendes, with Malo Gusto supporting—shapes expectations, though there are concerns that Chelsea look weary after their exertions in the United States, a fatigue Liam Rosenior may try to exploit.
Manchester City to play Real Madrid — a fifth straight knockout meeting
Manchester City were drawn against Real Madrid, continuing a sequence that stretches back to 2012 and brings the two clubs' competitive meetings to 17, including a 2-1 City win at the Bernabéu in December. This is the fifth consecutive season City and Madrid have met in the knockout stages; Madrid have prevailed in three of the previous knockout encounters. City’s director of football Hugo Viana described the tie as a big game for both sides and likened it to a final. City arrive with seven wins in their last eight matches across all competitions, while Real Madrid have undergone change after sacking Xabi Alonso and are described as a collection of talented individuals still seeking coherence.
Six Premier League clubs advance; no all-English last-16 ties
Six clubs from the Premier League have qualified for the round of 16: Arsenal, Manchester City, Newcastle United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur. Despite that representation, no two English clubs were drawn against one another. Arsenal, the only team to win all eight games in the league phase, were paired with Bayer Leverkusen; Newcastle will host Barcelona in the first leg; Liverpool were drawn against Galatasaray; and Tottenham will face Atlético Madrid. Newcastle, Liverpool and City each met their last-16 opponents during the league phase of the competition.
Arsenal top seed, Bayern second and odds from Opta
Arsenal finished the league phase top after winning all eight group games, with Bayern Munich three points behind in second place. If Arsenal overcome Bayer Leverkusen they would meet either Sporting or Bodo/Glimt in the quarter-finals. Statistical ratings from Opta give Mikel Arteta’s side a 27. 40% chance of winning the tournament, the highest probability assigned, with Bayern ranked next at 14. 28%.
Other ties and form lines: Galatasaray, PSG, Bayern, Atalanta and Newcastle
PSG’s form has been described as indifferent: they were forced into the playoff round after a defeat by Sporting and a draw with Newcastle in their final two league-phase matches, then advanced past Monaco only after a 5-4 aggregate result. Galatasaray’s path included a playoff against Juventus in which they were exceptional in the second half of the first leg but wobbled in the second leg even when facing 10 men; concerns about discipline and belief were noted, and Victor Osimhen was highlighted as a player who might present a physical challenge to Liverpool’s defence. Liverpool have historically won only one of five meetings with Galatasaray, and their league-phase loss in Istanbul in September was part of a difficult autumn for the club, though improvement was evident later.
Bayern Munich are presented as perhaps the side most likely to deny Premier League clubs success: they have lost just once all season in the Bundesliga, average more than 3. 5 goals per game, and their system amplifies Harry Kane’s strengths; Kane has scored 43 goals in all competitions this season while team-mates Michael Olise, Serge Gnabry and Luis Díaz provide complementary runs. Bayern’s sole dropped points in the league phase came at the Emirates Stadium, where they were beaten 3-1. Atalanta produced a stirring comeback to overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit against Borussia Dortmund in the playoff round, but they are described as not being the side that won the Europa League in 2024 and lie seventh in Serie A.
Route to the final and final venue confirmed
The bracket for the remainder of the competition is set: if Newcastle and Tottenham both progress they would meet in a quarter-final, while Chelsea and Liverpool would meet in the other half. The final is scheduled for Saturday, 30 May at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest. What makes this notable is how previous encounters and recent form—from Club World Cup revenge to Bayern's scoring machine—have directly shaped expectations for the knockout phase.
Fans will watch the fixtures on 10 and 11 March and the return legs on 17 and 18 March to see which sides advance toward Budapest.
