UEFA Champions League Round of 16: Which teams might Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Liverpool face? Did Manchester City and Celtic secure their spots?

‘The Best Team Won’ – Guardiola Admits Man City ‘Didn’t Deserve’ to Progress

In a UEFA Champions League campaign that has been nothing short of exhilarating, filled with drama, unexpected twists, and upsets, the second leg of the inaugural play-off phase wrapped up this week, finalising the line-up for the last 16. The league stage showcased a veritable feast of European football, featuring classic encounters, including the competition’s first-ever 5-4 thriller between Barcelona and Benfica. The play-offs, too, have not been short on excitement, with plenty of nail-biting moments.

As we look ahead, questions abound regarding which teams are likely to qualify for the last 16, who has already secured their spot, and what tantalising ties await in the next round.

Manchester City and Celtic’s Knockout Phase Struggles

Manchester City faced a daunting challenge in their knockout phase play-off against reigning champions Real Madrid. After a blockbuster first leg at the Etihad, which ended in a narrow 3-2 defeat, City succumbed to a 3-1 loss at the Bernabeu, resulting in a 6-3 aggregate defeat. Pep Guardiola’s side had initially taken the lead in the first leg, with Erling Haaland netting a brace to put them ahead 2-1 until the 86th minute. However, late goals from Brahim Diaz and Jude Bellingham turned the tide in favour of Real Madrid, who returned to Spain with the advantage.

In another tie, Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick ensured that Nico Gonzalez’s late goal for his side was merely a consolation, as the Frenchman propelled his team to victory.

Celtic, meanwhile, faced a harsh exit at the hands of Bayern Munich. The Scottish side managed to draw 1-1 in the second leg at the Allianz Arena, thanks to an injury-time goal from Alphonso Davies, but ultimately bowed out with a 3-2 aggregate defeat. Niklas Kuhn had given Celtic a glimmer of hope by levelling the tie after Bayern’s narrow 2-1 win in the first leg, but a late blow saw their European journey come to a heartbreaking end.

Potential Opponents for Liverpool, Arsenal, and Aston Villa

As the top eight teams await the draw for the last 16, set to take place on Friday, February 21, the bracket format means they have four potential opponents to consider. Liverpool, who topped the league phase standings, will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Benfica. PSG, having been overwhelming favourites, followed up their 3-0 first-leg victory with a staggering 7-0 win, while Benfica edged past Monaco with a thrilling 4-3 aggregate scoreline.

Arsenal, finishing third in the league phase, will take on either PSV Eindhoven or Feyenoord. Juventus held a 2-1 lead over PSV after the first leg but fell to a 3-1 defeat in the return fixture, while Feyenoord triumphed over AC Milan with a 2-1 aggregate victory.

Aston Villa secured their place in the top eight with an entertaining 4-2 win over Celtic and will now face either Club Brugge, who defeated Atalanta, or Borussia Dortmund, who overcame Sporting CP.

The Road Ahead in the Champions League

The knockout phase play-off draw has set the stage for an exciting path to the quarter-finals. In the matchups, PSG dominated Brest with a staggering 10-0 aggregate score, while Benfica edged past Monaco. The winners of these ties will face either Liverpool or Barcelona in the last 16.

PSV Eindhoven triumphed over Juventus with a 4-3 aggregate score, while Feyenoord’s aggregate win over AC Milan means they will face either Arsenal or Internazionale. Real Madrid’s aggregate victory over Manchester City and Bayern Munich’s win over Celtic means they will face either Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen in the next round.

Club Brugge’s aggregate win over Atalanta and Borussia Dortmund’s comfortable victory over Sporting CP rounds out the draw, with the winners set to face Aston Villa or Lille.

Understanding the Bracket Format

From the knockout phase play-off stage onwards, the UEFA Champions League adopts a bracket format. Teams finishing between ninth and 16th in the league phase standings are seeded, while those between 17th and 24th are unseeded. Teams are paired based on their final positions in the play-off section, creating four pairs of seeded teams and four pairs of unseeded teams. This means that when Celtic and City finished alongside one another in 21st and 22nd, they were destined to face either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, who finished in 11th and 12th.

The significance of this format is that paired teams will split into separate sides of the draw, preventing them from meeting until the final.

Can Teams from the Same Country Face Each Other?

Yes, teams from the same national association can face each other from the knockout phase play-offs onwards. This was evident when Paris Saint-Germain faced fellow Ligue 1 side Brest in the play-off stage.

As the excitement builds for the last 16, fans across Europe will be eagerly anticipating the draw and the thrilling matches that lie ahead.