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Champions League last 16 draw pairs Premier League sides with European giants
Chelsea will face Paris St-Germain in a repeat of last year's FIFA Club World Cup final, while Manchester City meet Real Madrid for the fifth consecutive season in the knockout stages, following Friday's draw in Nyon.
Key matchups announced
Six English clubs advanced to the last 16, but none will face each other. Arsenal, who topped the league phase with a perfect record, were drawn against Bayer Leverkusen. Newcastle United will take on Barcelona, Liverpool meet Galatasaray, and Tottenham Hotspur face Atlético Madrid.
The first legs are scheduled for 10-11 March, with return fixtures on 17-18 March. Newcastle host Barcelona in the opener, while the other Premier League teams play their second legs at home after securing automatic qualification.
Chelsea-PSG: A final rematch
Chelsea's tie with PSG revives last December's Club World Cup final in New Jersey, where the Blues won 3-0. Chelsea's director of football, David Barnard, called the matchup tough but added: "It holds no fear for us. It's too soon to speak about the final-we should think game by game."
PSG coach Luis Enrique downplayed revenge, saying: "It will be fascinating to play against one of the best English teams, who we know well, but it will not be about revenge. These are two different competitions."
Man City vs. Real Madrid: A rivalry renewed
Manchester City and Real Madrid will meet for the fifth straight season, with their December clash in Madrid marking their ninth meeting since April 2022. City's director of football, Hugo Viana, called the tie "a big game for both teams-like a final."
Liverpool, who face Galatasaray, will benefit from a home second leg. Former player Ian Rush highlighted Anfield's atmosphere: "It's second to none, and hopefully, that will come into it."
Arsenal lead title odds
Arsenal, the only team to win all eight league-phase matches, are favorites to lift the trophy, with Opta giving them a 27.4% chance-nearly double Bayern Munich's 14.28%. Liverpool (12.83%) and Manchester City (10.79%) follow, while 15-time winners Real Madrid sit at just 2.78%.
Chelsea (6.86%) are rated higher than their last-16 opponents PSG (4.64%), while Tottenham (1.22%) are considered outsiders despite their Europa League triumph last season.
"You can look at the bracket, but you can't take things for granted," Barnard cautioned.
Chelsea director of football David Barnard
Europa and Conference League draws
The Europa League last 16 sees Nottingham Forest host Midtjylland, while Aston Villa travel to Lille for the first leg. Both Premier League sides are in the same half of the draw and could meet in the semi-finals. Crystal Palace, the sole English representative in the Conference League, will face AEK Larnaca, with the second leg in Cyprus.
First and second legs for both competitions are set for 12 and 19 March.
Final destination: Budapest
The Champions League final will take place at Budapest's Puskás Arena on 30 May. If Newcastle and Tottenham progress, they could meet in the quarter-finals, while Chelsea and Liverpool would face off in the other half of the draw.
