The draw for the UEFA Champions League has finally taken place. After the conclusion of the play-off second legs earlier this week, the Round of 16 ties were drawn today in Nyon.
Six English clubs were involved in the draw: Arsenal FC, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur FC, Chelsea FC, Liverpool FC and Newcastle United FC.
Round of 16 – Matchups
- Paris Saint-Germain vs Chelsea
- Galatasaray SK vs Liverpool
- Real Madrid CF vs Manchester City
- Atalanta BC vs FC Bayern Munich
Lower half of the draw:
- Newcastle United vs FC Barcelona
- Atlético Madrid vs Tottenham Hotspur
- FK Bodø/Glimt vs Sporting CP
- Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs Arsenal
The ties will be played over two legs — one home and one away match. The aggregate winner advances to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
A new rule that improved the competition.
The away-goals rule no longer applies, as it was abolished two seasons ago. This change has modernised the competition and removed an outdated rule from European football.
The first legs of the Round of 16 will be played on 10 and 11 March, with the return legs scheduled for 17 and 18 March.
This is a decisive phase of the UEFA Champions League, where there is no room for rotation strategies or calculated risk as in the group stage.
At this stage, there is no going back. Every match is approached with maximum intensity and will be played to the best.
Teams are fully committed to advancing, with no margin for complacency. Over two legs, quality, structure and quality of football determine the outcome.
Simply put: the better teams advance — the weaker ones are eliminated. The teams will be fully committed and will play their best football.
Liverpool, Newcastle and Chelsea’s season will be defined by the Champions League directly.
There are many teams from the Premier League whose season will be determined by Champions League success. Especially Liverpool and Newcastle are the teams that are aiming for the Champions League, and the success of their season will be tied to and defined by the Champions League results.
Their season will be decided as a successful one or a bad one by the Champions League final result.
Chelsea vs PSG, one of the Champions League classic matches, will be played again. It will take place.
Chelsea is also there, which is aiming for great things in the Champions League. They will play another legendary clash against PSG. One decade ago, this team played many legendary Champions League knock-out stage fixtures that were memorable.
Tottenham is focused on a relegation fight, but will be very pleased to play against Atletico.
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