Chelsea’s path to Budapest has been mapped out, and Liam Rosenior is aiming to follow the trend of guiding the Blues to Champions League glory after being appointed mid-season.
Roberto Di Matteo and Thomas Tuchel each spearheaded remarkable European successes in 2012 and 2021, respectively, although Chelsea’s maiden European conquest, culminating in Munich, dwarfs their later triumph on the improbability front.
The Blues are undoubtedly outsiders this time around, even if their start under Rosenior has been promising enough. This is the manager’s first taste of Europe’s elite, and the former right back has already gotten the better of Antonio Conte in this competition.
However, far sterner challenges than an injury-hit Napoli lie ahead for the west Londoners. Here‘s their potential route to the 2025–26 Champions League final.
Chelsea’s Last 16 Opponents
It’s certainly not an easy start to the knockout stages for Chelsea, who have been drawn against holders Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16.
These two sides once met regularly during the mid-2010s, with PSG typically edging hard-fought two-legged affairs that could’ve gone either way. The Blues were dominant in their most recent and thus more relevant meeting, though, even if their 3–0 victory in the FIFA Club World Cup final was masterminded by the now-departed Enzo Maresca.
Rosenior would be wise to follow the blueprint laid out by the Italian in New Jersey, and Chelsea should take confidence from PSG’s stuttering form. This is not the swashbuckling Parisian outfit of a year ago, with their nervy playoff triumph over Monaco supplying further evidence of their subtle decline.
Luis Enrique’s side are also in a serious Ligue 1 title race with Lens, so the Spaniard is unlikely to have the chance to heavily rotate for domestic outings, as he could last season.
Chelsea’s Potential Quarterfinal Opponents
If Chelsea knock out the holders, we could be treated to some Champions League heritage in the quarterfinals.
The Blues played out some of the greatest knockout ties with Liverpool in the noughties, meeting four times over two legs between 2004–05 and 2008–09. From Luis García’s ’ghost goal’ to the barnstorming 4–4 at Stamford Bridge, chaos and controversy always seemed to follow whenever they locked horns on European nights.
Those with a penchant for nostalgia will be desperate for a long overdue duel, with Liverpool the favorites to progress from their round of 16 tie with Galatasaray, even if the Reds succumbed in Istanbul during the league phase.
Chelsea’s Potential Semifinal Opponents
This was a lopsided draw and, on paper, Chelsea are on the wrong side of it. If they make it all the way to the semifinals, a European behemoth is bound to await.
There’s scope for another all-English tie, but Manchester City will have to bypass Real Madrid in yet another Champions League Clásico that UEFA are seemingly desperate to turn into an annual event.
Bayern Munich are also on the ’silver side’ of the draw and have been paired against Atalanta in the round of 16. Vincent Kompany’s outfit have encountered a couple of domestic hiccups in recent weeks. Still, only Arsenal outperformed them during the league phase, and they appear to be serious contenders to claim a seventh Champions League title.
Since their penalty shootout victory over Bayern in the final 14 years ago, Chelsea have lost all four meetings with the Bundesliga giants, who currently have Blues striker Nicolas Jackson on loan.
Chelsea’s Potential Final Opponents
There are currently eight potential opponents for Chelsea in the final, should Rosenior’s side run the gauntlet during the knockout stages.
Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United are on the ’blue side’ of the draw, but their campaigns could be brought to an end by Atlético Madrid and Barcelona, respectively. Barça were semifinalists last season but, like PSG, do not appear as potent as they did a year ago.
Thus, the stage is set for Arsenal to reach their second Champions League final. The Gunners have made steady progress in this competition under Mikel Arteta and now look primed to reach the showpiece event. Bayer Leverkusen will surely be cast aside in the last 16, as should Sporting CP or Bodø/Glimt in the quarterfinals.
A sterner test will await in the semis, but you’d back Arsenal against any of their potential opponents with the final just 180 minutes away.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chelsea’s Route to the 2025–26 Champions League Final.
