Champions League Round of 16 Draw: Who Could the English Teams Face?

The road to Budapest starts to take shape on Friday.

With the Champions League play-offs nearly wrapped up, six English clubs are now waiting to discover their Round of 16 opponents. Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham were already safely through, and Newcastle joined them after a dominant aggregate win in the play-offs.

Friday’s draw does not just decide the last-16 ties. It also maps out the entire knockout bracket, meaning teams will know their potential quarter-final and semi-final opponents.

Here is what we know – and who each English side could face.

When is the Champions League Round of 16 draw?

The draw takes place on Friday at 12pm Nigerian time.

The Round of 16 matches will be played across two legs on March 10-11 and March 17-18. The final will be held at the Puskás Arena in Budapest on May 30.

Seeded teams – those who finished in the top eight of the league phase – will play the second leg at home.

Arsenal

Arsenal’s strong league phase finish gives them seeding protection and the advantage of playing second legs at home.

They could face Bayer Leverkusen or the winner of Borussia Dortmund vs Atalanta, depending on how the final play-off ties conclude.

The Gunners will also learn their potential quarter-final path on Friday, with Manchester City a possible all-English clash later in the tournament.

Liverpool

Liverpool could face Atlético Madrid or the winner of Galatasaray vs Juventus.

That opens the door for an immediate reunion with Diego Simeone’s side after their 3-2 meeting at Anfield in September – and potentially a return to England for Ademola Lookman.

The Reds could also meet Tottenham later in the bracket depending on Friday’s pathway.

Homecoming for Mola ?gbeng?

Atlético will face Spurs or Liverpool in the UCL RO16! pic.twitter.com/Onk6cFyiz3
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Manchester City

City could be drawn against Bodø/Glimt or the winner of Benfica vs Real Madrid.

Pep Guardiola’s side will also find out whether they are on a collision course with another English club in the quarter-finals, with Arsenal one possible heavyweight matchup down the line.

Chelsea

Chelsea are set to face either Newcastle or the winner of PSG vs Monaco.

An all-English Round of 16 tie is possible if the Magpies land in their half of the draw. If not, a heavyweight clash with a French giant could be on the cards.

Tottenham

Spurs could draw Atlético Madrid or the winner of Galatasaray vs Juventus.

A tie against Atlético would carry extra edge given Diego Simeone’s European pedigree, while Galatasaray would offer a high-intensity test.

Tottenham could also run into Liverpool or Chelsea deeper in the competition depending on how the bracket falls.

Newcastle

Newcastle’s reward for their emphatic play-off win is a tie against either Chelsea or Barcelona.

An all-English showdown with Chelsea would be one of the standout ties of the round, while a meeting with Barcelona would test Eddie Howe’s side against European royalty.

Friday’s draw will define the path to the quarter-finals and beyond. With six English clubs still in the competition, the possibility of blockbuster domestic clashes in Europe remains very real.

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