The draw for the Champions League last 16 has produced a series of heavyweight clashes, with Manchester City pitted against Real Madrid and Chelsea drawn against holders Paris Saint-Germain. Newcastle will face Barcelona, while Liverpool travel to Galatasaray and Tottenham meet Atlético Madrid.
Chelsea's tie with PSG is a repeat of last summer's Club World Cup final, which Chelsea won 3-0. Liam Rosenior, Enzo Maresca's successor, said: “I’m so excited. PSG are fantastic. These are the games you live for.” Rosenior has faced PSG three times as Strasbourg manager, recording one win, one draw and one defeat.
Liverpool return to Istanbul for a rematch with Galatasaray, having lost 1-0 there in the league phase. Arsenal face Bayer Leverkusen, with Mikel Arteta expressing excitement about competing on four fronts. Tottenham, now featuring Conor Gallagher after his January move from Atlético, meet Diego Simeone's side, with a potential north London semi-final against Arsenal on the cards.
Manchester City's meeting with Real Madrid is their fifth Champions League knockout tie in five years. Pep Guardiola noted the fresh challenge of facing new Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa, who replaced Xabi Alonso in January. Newcastle's clash with Barcelona evokes memories of Faustino Asprilla's hat-trick in 1997, though Barcelona won this season's league-phase meeting 2-1 thanks to two goals from Marcus Rashford.
In the Europa League, Nottingham Forest face Midtjylland after losing 3-2 at home to the Danes in the league phase. Aston Villa meet Lille, a rematch of a Conference League quarter-final two years ago that Villa won on penalties. In the Conference League, Crystal Palace take on AEK Larnaca of Cyprus.
