Champions League last 16 draw full details as Liverpool and Arsenal await huge ties | Football | Sport
The knockout stages of the Champions League will soon get underway.
The draw for the Champions League round of 16 will take place on Friday (Image: Getty)
- The draw for the Champions League round of 16 and subsequent bracket pairings are scheduled for Friday, February 27. The ceremony will take place at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, starting at 11am (UK time). This will establish the full path through the quarter-finals and semi-finals for all remaining teams.
- Six Premier League clubs are set to feature in the knockout stages. While Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham qualified directly by finishing in the top eight of the league phase, Newcastle and Chelsea must navigate the play-off round to join them in the final 16.
- After a dominant 6-1 first-leg victory over Qarabag, Newcastle are all but certain to progress. Barring a historic collapse in the return leg, Eddie Howe’s side will enter the draw where they are already guaranteed to face either Spanish giants Barcelona or Premier League rivals Chelsea.
- Several heavyweights are still fighting for their spots this week. Key second-leg fixtures include Real Madrid hosting Benfica and Juventus traveling to Galatasaray. These play-off winners will be unseeded in the draw, paired against the high-ranking ‘seeded’ teams who finished in the top eight.
- Under the new format, the bracket is split into two halves, determining potential future match-ups early. In a massive domestic twist, Liverpool could face Newcastle or Chelsea in the quarter-finals, while Arsenal find themselves on a collision course where they could face Manchester City.
- Teams that finished in the top eight during the group stage enjoy the advantage of being ‘seeded’. This ensures they are drawn against a play-off winner rather than another top-eight finisher, theoretically providing a smoother path into the quarter-finals before the draw becomes completely open.
- The knockout action resumes quickly following the draw. The last-16 first legs are set for March 10-11, with the second legs following on March 17-18. Fans can also look forward to April quarter-finals and the semi-finals beginning in late April to decide the finalists.
- All roads lead to the Allianz Arena in Germany for the showpiece event. The 2026 final is scheduled for May 30. With five or six English teams potentially in the mix, there is a significant chance of an all-Premier League final in Bavaria.
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