Manchester City will face Real Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League for the fifth consecutive European campaign, even as Chelsea will play defending champions Paris Saint-Germain, following the draw held Friday in Nyon, Switzerland.
The pairing marks a repeat of recent encounters for both Manchester City and Real Madrid. According to beinsports.com, Manchester City were eliminated by Real Madrid in the play-off phase in 2024-25 and in the quarter-finals the year prior. City did achieve victory over Madrid in the 2022-23 season, going on to win their first European crown, but lost to them in the semi-finals in 2021-22.
The match will also be a quick rematch, as the two sides met in December, with Manchester City winning 2-1 in the league phase, with goals from Nico O’Reilly and Erling Haaland.
Chelsea’s tie against Paris Saint-Germain is a replay of the 2025 Club World Cup final, which Chelsea won 3-0, as reported by Al Jazeera.
Elsewhere in the draw, Arsenal, who topped the 36-team league phase, will face Bayer Leverkusen. Bayern Munich will play Atalanta. Liverpool will travel to Galatasaray, a rematch of a league phase game where Galatasaray won 1-0 thanks to a penalty from Victor Osimhen. Tottenham Hotspur will face Atletico Madrid, and Bodo/Glimt will play Sporting CP. Newcastle United will face Barcelona.
The first legs of the last 16 ties will be played on March 10 and 11, with the second legs scheduled for March 17 and 18, according to Sky Sports. The schedule for the ties is expected to be released Friday evening.
Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea have been placed in what Sky Sports describes as the hardest side of the draw. Should Manchester City and Chelsea progress, they could meet in the quarter-finals, as could Liverpool, and Chelsea. Arsenal could face either Bodo/Glimt or Sporting in the quarter-finals, with a potential semi-final matchup against Newcastle, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, or Tottenham.
