Champions League last-16 draw: Arsenal and Liverpool learn their fate

by · Mail Online

Liverpool are set to take on PSG in a blockbuster last-16 Champions League tie as all three English sides were drawn on the same side of the competition.

The draw for the last-16 stage took place on Friday morning with the eight teams who won their knockout play-off ties joining the top eight sides from the League Phase table. 

Those eight teams - Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille and Aston Villa - automatically progressed to the last-16 thanks to their performances earlier in the competition.

They were joined by Real Madrid, PSG, Club Brugge, PSV, Feyenoord, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Benfica, while Friday's draw also decided which half of the draw teams go into for the rest of the competition, meaning they can plot their routes to the final.

And, at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland, the fate of all 16 sides in the Champions League was decided. 

Liverpool are faced with an eye-watering clash against PSG after the French side knocked out Brest 10-0 on aggregate in the play-off round.

Liverpool learned their fate for the last-16 of the Champions League on Friday morning
The draw determining the last-16 and the rest of the competition took place in Switzerland
Real Madrid will take on Atletico after eliminating Man City in the knockout play-off stage

Aston Villa were drawn against Club Brugge, a team they met in the League Phase and lost 1-0 to, but Unai Emery's side are in the same section as the Reds.

This means that if both teams were successful in their last-16 ties, they would then meet in the quarter-finals in an all-English tie.

Meanwhile, Arsenal have been drawn against PSV, who join Feyenoord as one of two Dutch teams in the last-16 stage.

They have been plotted on the same path as Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid for a potential quarter-final clash.

Given they are on the same half of the draw, the Gunners could meet Liverpool or Villa in the semi-final, although they would have to defeat Real or Atletico in the quarter-final if they were successful against PSV.

Mikel Arteta's side faced the Dutch side in the group stage of last season's competition, winning 4-0 at home and drawing 1-1 away before Bayern Munich knocked them out in the quarter-finals. 

Meanwhile, German sides Bayern and Bayer Leverkusen take on each other, while Feyenoord face Inter Milan.

Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund were drawn against Lille, while Benfica will come up against Barcelona. 

Liverpool have been faced with a blockbuster last-16 tie against French champions PSG
They have been put on a collision course with Aston Villa for an all-English quarter-final clash
If Arsenal make it past PSV and Real or Atletico, they could face Liverpool in the semi-finals
The draw took place at the House of Football in Nyon, Switzerland, on Friday morning
All 16 sides remaining in the competition can now plot their routes to the final in Munich in May

Those two teams played out an astonishing League Phase clash when the Catalan giants won 5-4 in the 96th minute having come from 4-2 down.

The seeded clubs will play the return legs of the last-16 games at home, meaning Villa, Arsenal and Liverpool have an advantage for the decisive second legs. 

Liverpool are set to take on PSG for the first time since 2018-19, which came during the campaign that the Reds were crowned European champions for a sixth time.

Back then, they met in the group stage, with Liverpool winning 3-2 at home before the French giants emerged victorious by virtue of a 2-1 triumph in the return game in Paris. 

The two-legged last-16 ties will be played on March 4-5 and March 11-12. 

The final of this year's competition is at Bayern's Allianz Arena on May 31. 

Champions League last-16 draw 

PSG vs Liverpool

Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid

Feyenoord vs Inter Milan

Borussia Dortmund vs Lille

Club Brugge vs Aston Villa

PSV vs Arsenal

Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen

Benfica vs Barcelona