The draw for the last 16 of the Champions League has thrown up some intriguing heavyweight clashes. If Manchester City’s meeting with Real Madrid is arguably foremost among them, Chelsea’s meeting with the holders, Paris Saint-Germain, and Newcastle’s duel with Barcelona are certainly not lacking in glamour.
Liverpool will return to Istanbul as part of a tricky engagement with Galatasaray – Arne Slot’s side lost 1-0 in Turkey during a league-phase meeting in September. Meanwhile, a Tottenham side likely to be prioritising Premier League survival will meet Atlético Madrid. Arsenal face an ostensibly favourable tie against Bayer Leverkusen.
The winner of City’s tie with Madrid will face either Atalanta or Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, while Chelsea could meet Liverpool should they emerge from their respective encounters. Newcastle could face Spurs should they beat their respective Spanish opposition. Should Arsenal overcome Bayer Leverkusen, they will meet the winner of Bodø/Glimt’s versus Sporting Lisbon in the last eight. The paths to the semi-finals were also mapped out in Friday’s draw and there is the distinct possibility of all-English last-four ties.
Chelsea’s meeting with PSG is a repeat of last summer’s Club World Cup final, which the London side, then managed by Enzo Maresca, won 3-0. Newcastle’s meeting with Barcelona, meanwhile, will reprise evocative memories of Sir Bobby Robson, who managed both clubs, not to mention Faustino Asprilla’s treble during a 3-2 Champions League home win against Barça in 1997. The two sides also met at St James’ Park in September, with Hansi Flick’s side winning the league-phase encounter 2-1 thanks to two goals from Marcus Rashford. City and Madrid will meet in a two-legged Champions League encounter for an eight time in 13 years.
The last-16 ties will be played on 10-11 and 17-18 March.
