The UEFA Champions League Playoff Round Has Concluded, Determining the Last 16 Teams
The Last 16 Teams in the UEFA Champions League Have Been Finalized
The UEFA Champions League playoff round has concluded, determining the 16 teams that will move on to the next stage of the competition. Additionally, the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League will also reach the same stage after Thursday night’s matches.
On Friday, the six remaining Premier League clubs in Europe – Liverpool, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Chelsea – will discover their opponents when the draws are made.
When Do the Draws Take Place?
The UEFA Champions League last-16 draw will take place on Friday, February 21st, at 11:00 GMT. This will be followed by the UEFA Europa League draw at 12:00 GMT and the UEFA Conference League draw at 13:00 GMT.
How Do the Draws Work?
The Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League draws all follow the same format. The teams that finished in the top eight places in the league phase are seeded in couples, with the first-placed side paired with the second-placed side, and so on. These pairs will be on opposite sides of the draw and cannot possibly meet until the final.
The seeded teams’ reward for a top-eight finish is a tie against a side who finished outside the top eight and had to win a playoff tie to reach the last 16. On Friday, each club will find out who they will face next and which half of the draw they will go into. Teams from the same country can meet each other at any point.
Potential Matchups for Premier League Sides
Arsenal could face either Feyenoord, who advanced after defeating seven-time winners AC Milan, or PSV Eindhoven, who overcame Juventus on Wednesday night.
Aston Villa may be drawn against either Club Brugge or Borussia Dortmund.
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur automatically progressed to the last 16 after finishing in the top eight of the league phase. One of them will face the winner of tonight’s match between Galatasaray and AZ Alkmaar, and the other will take on the winner of FC Midtjylland vs. Real Sociedad.
Chelsea’s possible opponents in the Conference League will become clearer on Thursday following the conclusion of the knockout matches. They will play the winner of either Real Betis vs. Gent or FC Heidenheim vs. FC Copenhagen.
When Are the Last-16 Matches?
UEFA Champions League:
First legs: March 4-5
Second legs: March 11-12
UEFA Europa League:
First legs: March 6
Second legs: March 13
UEFA Conference League:
First legs: March 6
Second legs: March 13
Stay Tuned for the Exciting Draws and Matchups
With the playoff round complete, the stage is set for the last 16 of Europe’s premier club competitions. Football fans can look forward to the exciting draws on Friday and the highly anticipated knockout stage matches in March.
