Barcelona learn their possible UEFA Champions League round of 16 opponents

NYON—The path ahead for Barcelona in the knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League snapped into focus late Wednesday as the final play-off ties settled the last two places in the round of 16. Hansi Flick’s side, which ended the inaugural league-phase campaign in fifth position, now knows it will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Newcastle United when the draw is conducted at UEFA headquarters on Friday morning.

The new Swiss-model format split the top eight finishers into fixed pairing brackets, separating Barcelona from sixth-placed Chelsea and locking the Catalans into a segment whose opponents could only come from two concurrent play-off match-ups: AS Monaco v Paris Saint-Germain and Qarabag FK v Newcastle United.

In the all-French showdown, PSG squeezed past Monaco on aggregate after 180 tense minutes, while Newcastle stamped their ticket with a commanding performance against Azerbaijani champions Qarabag. Those results trimmed Barcelona’s list of potential adversaries to two: the Parisians or the Magpies.

Barcelona supporters need no reminder of Newcastle, having already encountered Eddie Howe’s squad on Matchday 1. A trip to St James’ Park produced a confident 2-1 Barça victory that set the tone for Flick’s European tenure. A reunion would also nudge Barcelona to the right-hand side of the knockout bracket, whereas drawing PSG would place the Blaugrana on the left.

Regardless of Friday’s pairing, the return leg of the round of 16 will unfold at Spotify Camp Nou, handing the Spanish giants a decisive home advantage in the tie’s critical showdown.

With the contenders narrowed to two, anticipation inside the Catalan dressing room is palpable. The coaching staff will spend the next 24 hours refining scouting reports, but the identity of Barcelona’s next European challenge now rests solely in the hands of the draw.