There are several huge UEFA Champions League Last 16 ties set to take place after the draw was made.
Arguably the stand-out sees favourites Real Madrid take on City rivals Atletico in a repeat of the 2014 final. Real will host the first leg which adds another layer of intrigue to the tie. PSG take on second-favourites Liverpool, in a battle between two vibrant European giants.
Another mouth-watering encounter is the battle between German leaders Bayern Munich and German champions Bayern Leverkusen, who face each other once more after playing out a goalless draw last week.
Arsenal will be happy with their draw against PSV, playing the first match away. Surprise package Club Brugge take on Aston Villa. Villa will be looking for revenge after falling to a 1-0 defeat to Brugge in November, their first of this season’s Champions League.
Barcelona will be strong favourites against Benfica, while Dortmund play Lille and Feyenoord take on Inter. All first leg ties will take place on 4 and 5 March, with the second legs on 11 and 12 March.
The quarter-final draw was also made. There is a strong possibility of a Liverpool vs Aston Villa all-English tie with both sides favourites to come through their respective Last 16 matches. If Arsenal get through their tie with PSV, they’d face the winner of Real or Atletico. Barcelona would play Dortmund if both favourites win their Last 16 clashes, and the winner of Bayern and Leverkusen could meet Inter in the quarter-finals.
Recap our live draw below and on X:
Live:
12:03: The draw is about to begin so stay tuned!
The UCL last 16 draw is about to begin! ?pic.twitter.com/9KifHaIfdZ
— Bet9ja: The home of #betBOOM! ? (@Bet9jaOfficial) February 21, 2025
12:05: Let us know in the comments who you want your team to face! Read below for everything you need to know about the draw which will be taking place any minute!
12:10: Giovane Elber is the special guest for the draw, who you might remember for being part of the Bayern Munich UCL winning side in 2001.
12:16: The first match has been drawn: Club Brugge vs Aston Villa
12:17: Match two: Dortmund vs Lille
12:17: HUGE DRAW: Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid
REAL MADRID VS ATLETICO MADRID!
— Bet9ja: The home of #betBOOM! ? (@Bet9jaOfficial) February 21, 2025
12:18: Another big all-country tie: Bayer Leverkusen vs Bayern Munich
12:18: PSV vs Arsenal. Must be happy with that, Arsenal fans?
12:19: Feyenoord vs Inter Milan
12:19: PSG vs Liverpool: Another mouth-watering tie!
PSG VS LIVERPOOL!
— Bet9ja: The home of #betBOOM! ? (@Bet9jaOfficial) February 21, 2025
12:20: Benfica vs Barcelona – A good draw for the Spanish giants.
12:21: Now it’s time for the quarter-final draw.
12:21: Paris St-Germain or Liverpool vs Club Brugge or Aston Villa
12:22: PSV or Arsenal vs Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid
12:23: Benfica or Barcelona vs Dortmund or Lille
12:24: Leverkusen or Bayern vs Feyenoord or Inter
12:24: It’s still not over as we’re doing the semi-final draw too!
12:25: Semi-final 1: PSV or Arsenal or Real Madrid or Atletico vs PSG or Liverpool or Brugge or Aston Villa
12:25: Semi-final 2: Benfica or Barcelona or Dortmund or Lille vs Leverkusen or Bayern or Feyenoord or Inter
12:26: That concludes the draw! Full reaction in-coming but comment below with your initial thoughts!
12:30: Reminder of the Last 16 draw:
The UCL Round of 16 draw has been made & it has thrown up some incredible games! ?
— Bet9ja: The home of #betBOOM! ? (@Bet9jaOfficial) February 21, 2025
Which is your favourite?! ? pic.twitter.com/OHNrVjtViH
Which teams have qualified?
Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atlético Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille, and Aston Villa secured their places by finishing in the top eight of the new-format group stage.
Meanwhile, eight additional teams had to navigate the knockout play-offs after finishing between ninth and 24th in the league-phase standings.
Bayern Munich, Benfica, Club Brugge, and Feyenoord booked their spots on Tuesday, followed by Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, and PSV Eindhoven, completing the lineup for the last 16.
Knockout phase play-offs ?#UCL pic.twitter.com/Z3VuK7LjWm
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 20, 2025
How the Draw Works
The Champions League Round of 16 follows a structured draw format. Here’s how it works:
- The top eight teams from the league phase have automatically qualified and are seeded.
- The eight play-off winners join them as unseeded teams.
- Each seeded team is paired into a duo (e.g. Liverpool and Barcelona), and their potential opponents are predetermined.
- Clubs can face teams from the same country and opponents they previously played in the league phase.
This means that each team has a 50-50 chance of predicting their opponent in the draw.
