Arsenal, Liverpool, and Aston Villa now know their potential opponents in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 following the conclusion of the play-off matches on Wednesday. The draw is scheduled for Friday at 11 a.m., with all three Premier League clubs bracing for challenging ties.
Liverpool, who advanced as top seeds after finishing among the top eight in the group stage, will face either Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), who demolished Brest 10-0 on aggregate, or Portuguese giants Benfica. Meanwhile, Arsenal will take on Dutch opposition—either Feyenoord or PSV Eindhoven, who knocked out Juventus with a 4-3 aggregate victory after extra time.
Aston Villa, ranked eighth, are set to meet either Borussia Dortmund, who eliminated Sporting Lisbon, or Belgium’s Club Brugge. Other confirmed last-16 matchups include Real Madrid versus Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich or Leverkusen against Atletico Madrid.
Manchester City, last season’s champions, suffered a shock exit at the hands of Real Madrid, with Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick securing a 6-3 aggregate victory for the Spanish giants. Despite City’s elimination, the Premier League still has three strong contenders vying for Europe’s top club trophy.
The full last-16 fixtures will be confirmed after Friday’s draw, with fans eagerly awaiting to see how the competition unfolds.
