The Champions League knockout stage draw was held at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday morning. Six English clubs discovered their last-16 opponents and potential routes to the final at Budapest’s Puskas Arena on May 30.
Arsenal, who topped the league phase with a perfect record, will face Bayer Leverkusen. Chelsea have been drawn against holders Paris Saint-Germain in a repeat of last summer’s Club World Cup final. Tottenham and Liverpool take on Atletico Madrid and Galatasaray respectively, while Newcastle meet Barcelona and Manchester City prepare for another high-profile tie with Real Madrid.
Chelsea could face Liverpool in the quarter-finals and Manchester City in the semis, making their route particularly challenging. Arsenal face a more favourable path, with Sporting or Bodo/Glimt potentially awaiting in the quarter-finals, and one of Newcastle, Barcelona, Atletico or Tottenham in the semi-finals.
The draw also set up a fifth consecutive Champions League knockout meeting between Real Madrid and Manchester City, who met in the league phase in December, with City winning 2-1. PSG-Chelsea is a rematch of the Club World Cup final, won 3-0 by Chelsea. Newcastle will play Barcelona again, while Liverpool have a chance to avenge a 1-0 loss to Galatasaray in September.
Other notable ties include Tottenham against Atletico for the first time since 1963, and Kai Havertz returning to Bayer Leverkusen with Arsenal. The draw ceremony was short but produced several exciting match-ups.
