Champions League: Round of 16 Draw Confirmed

The draw has been made for the Round of 16 ties for the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League, with Premier League clubs finding out who they will be facing next in this season’s competition.

All but one of the Premier League clubs participating in this season’s UEFA Champions League competition made it through to the Round of 16 stage automatically by securing a place in the top eight – they were Spurs (4th), Arsenal (1st), Liverpool (3rd), Manchester City (8th), and finally Chelsea (6th).

The only English club to miss out and have to go through the play-offs round was Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United. The Magpies were drawn against Qarabag of Azerbaijan, and they were able to emphatically beat them 9 – 3 on aggregate.

All of the Premier League clubs that made the Round of 16 automatically showed some great form in the League Phase.

Starting with Spurs, they were able to win 5 of their 8 matches, beating the likes of Villarreal (1 – 0), Copenhagen (4 – 0), Slavia Prague (3 – 0), Borussia Dortmund (2 – 0), and finally another German club in the form of Eintracht Frankfurt, also beating them 2 – 0, this time away from home.

Moving on to Arsenal, Mikel Arteta’s side won all 8 of their games in the League Phase, beating Athletic Club (2 – 0), Olympiacos (2 – 0), Atletico Madrid (4 – 0), Slavia Prague (3 – 0), Bayern Munich (3 – 1), Club Brugge (3 – 0), Inter Milan (3 – 1), and finally Kairat Almaty (3 – 2).

Arne Slot’s Liverpool won 6 matches in the league phase, getting the better of Atletico Madrid (3 – 2), Eintracht Frankfurt (5 – 1), Real Madrid (1 – 0), Inter Milan (1 – 0), Marseille (3 – 0), and Qarabag (6 – 0).

Manchester City, led by Pep Guardiola, made it through to the round of 16 after winning 5 of their 8 matches. The Cityzens were able to beat Napoli (2 – 0), Villarreal (2 – 0), Borussia Dortmund (4 – 1), Real Madrid (2 – 1), and finally Galatasaray, who were beaten 2 – 0 at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester.

Finally, Chelsea’s 6th place finish in the league phase was sealed after winning 5, drawing 1, and losing just 2 of their 8 league phase games in total. The Blues were able to beat the likes of Benfica (1 – 0), Ajax (5 – 1), Barcelona (3 – 0), Pafos (1 – 0), and Napoli (3 – 2).

Now, we are going to be taking a look at who each of the Premier League clubs has been drawn against in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League for 2025/26.

Confirmed Round of 16 ties for Premier League Clubs

Spurs

Igor Tudor’s Tottenham side have been drawn against Spanish heavyweights Atletico Madrid, led by their Uruguayan Head Coach Diego Simeone, in the Round of 16 of this season’s UEFA Champions League. Atleti finished 14^th in the league phase after winning 4, drawing 1, and losing 3 of their games in the league phase.

Atletico were able to beat Belgian club, Club Brugge, 7 – 4 on aggregate in the play-offs. Spurs have never played against the La Liga side in a Champions League fixture to date, so this is a historic fixture for both sides.

Arsenal

Moving on to Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side, the League Phase and current Premier League leaders have been officially drawn against German Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen who are currently led by Head Coach Kasper Hjulmand. Die Werkself (The Factory XI) finished 16^th in the league phase, winning 3, drawing 3, and losing just 2 of their league phase games.

Bayer Leverkusen were able to defeat Greek Giants Olympiacos in the Knockout Play-Offs, beating them 2 – 0 on aggregate. The Gunners have only faced them twice, drawing 1 – 1 with them in Group D in the 2001/02 away from home, before then beating them 4 – 1 in the following match of that season’s competition.

Liverpool

Arne Slot’s Liverpool side have been drawn against Turkish heavyweights Galatasaray, led by their Head Coach Okan Buruk, in the Round of 16 of this season’s UEFA Champions League. Galatasaray finished 20^th in the league phase after winning 3, drawing 1, and losing 4 of their games in the league phase.

The Reds’ Turkish opponents were able to defeat Italian Giants Juventus in a shock result that saw them beat the Old Lady 7 – 5 on aggregate over the two legs in the play-offs. Liverpool have faced them 5 times, and the most recent victory for Liverpool against this club was in a 3 – 2 Group C victory at Anfield back on Matchday 2 in the 2006/07 season.

Manchester City

Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City side are going up against Spanish Giants Real Madrid, led by Alvaro Arbeloa, in the Round of 16 in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League. City’s opponents finished 9^th in the league phase, winning 5, drawing none, and losing 3 of their games.

City have already beaten Los Blancos this season, doing so in the league phase. In the knockout play-offs, Arbeloa’s side were able to beat Portuguese Giants and 2 time Champions of Europe Benfica 3 – 1 on aggregate over two legs.

Chelsea

Finally, Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea team will be coming up against French Ligue 1 heavyweights and the reigning Champions of Europe PSG in the Round of 16 in this season’s Champions League knockout phase. Led by Head Coach Luis Enrique, the Parisians finished in 11^th in the league phase, winning 4, drawing 2, and losing 2 of their games in the league phase.

The Blues have never met PSG 8 times in the UEFA Champions League so far, most recently beating them back in the second leg of the 2013/14 Quarter Finals where they won 2 – 0 at Stamford Bridge to win the tie on away goals in the end.

Other confirmed Round of 16 ties

·         Atalanta vs. Bayern Munich

·         Bodo/Glimt vs. Sporting CP

·         Newcastle United vs. Barcelona

Excitement and anticipation is already building ahead of the Round of 16 of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League, as clubs from across the continent of Europe look to take a step closer to that Final in Budapest in May.

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