Champions League Round of 16 Draw: PSG Seek Revenge Against Chelsea as Arsenal Get Easy Path

The UEFA Champions League round of 16 draw has thrown up a slate of mouth-watering ties, none bigger than holders Paris Saint-Germain’s date with Chelsea in a rematch fueled by recent history and a thirst for revenge. The first legs will be played on 10-11 March, with the return fixtures on 17-18 March, setting the stage for a fortnight of high-stakes drama across Europe.

PSG’s motivation is clear: Luis Enrique’s side remain stung by December’s Club World Cup final defeat to Chelsea in the United States and view the knockout tie as an immediate opportunity for redemption. Chelsea, meanwhile, arrive in Paris on 11 March before welcoming the French champions to Stamford Bridge a week later, confident they can again defy expectations after proving their pedigree on the global stage.

While PSG chase retribution, Manchester City must confront an all-too-familiar obstacle in Real Madrid, the perennial European specialists who have become Pep Guardiola’s modern nemesis. A place in the quarter-finals awaits the winner, though the reward is hardly gentle: a meeting with either Bayern Munich or Atalanta in the last eight.

Newcastle United’s reward for progressing from the group stage is a glamour tie against Barcelona, reprising an earlier group-stage clash. St James’ Park is expected to be at fever pitch for the first leg, with Eddie Howe’s side aiming to overturn the earlier loss to the five-time champions and keep alive dreams of an all-English semi-final; Newcastle share their half of the draw with Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona.

Premier League pacesetters Arsenal were handed the most inviting route, paired with a Bayer Leverkusen outfit lauded for technical ability yet currently struggling for form. Mikel Arteta will expect his free-scoring squad to advance and set up a quarter-final against either Norwegian surprise package Bodø/Glimt—who shocked 2023 finalists Inter Milan—or Sporting CP. Even so, potential landmines await in the shape of Newcastle, Barcelona or Atletico Madrid as Arsenal chase a first European crown in more than three decades.

Liverpool must negotiate the cauldron of Istanbul, where they face Galatasaray in a tie dripping with narrative. The Reds fell to a Victor Osimhen penalty in Turkey earlier this season but arrive in better collective form and will back themselves over two legs. Victory would pitch Jürgen Klopp’s men into a quarter-final showdown with the winners of Chelsea versus PSG, guaranteeing at least one English side in the semi-finals.

Tottenham Hotspur, meanwhile, face the wily knockout craftsmanship of Atletico Madrid. Diego Simeone’s side specialise in turning ties into tactical battles, whereas Spurs prefer a high-tempo, expansive approach. Whether Tottenham can impose their rhythm or are dragged into a street fight could decide a tie balanced on a knife-edge.

From Paris to Madrid, Newcastle to Naples, the round of 16 promises seismic collisions, stirring comebacks and, for one English club, a potential path all the way to the final in Budapest.