Manchester City to meet Real Madrid again as PSG land Chelsea in Champions League round of 16
Manchester City will clash with Real Madrid in the Champions League knockout rounds for the fifth consecutive season following Fridays draw for the last 16, as Paris Saint-Germain, the current title holders, were paired with Chelsea.
The Spanish powerhouse, with a record 15 European titles, will welcome City to the Santiago Bernabeu for the opening match next month, then head to England for the second leg the week after.
The teams already met this campaign, where Pep Guardiolas City secured a 2-1 victory in Madrid back in December during the league stage, ending eighth while Real placed ninth in the Premier League side.
This result saw City progress directly to the last 16, whereas Madrid needed to navigate the play-off round, defeating Benfica 3-1 overall.
It marks the eighth time these sides have met since 2012. Madrid overcame City in last seasons play-offs and in the quarter-finals en route to the 2024 triumph. They also prevailed in the 2022 semi-finals, with City gaining revenge at that stage the next year.
PSG will host Chelsea in the initial fixture after advancing here via a 5-4 aggregate success against Ligue 1 opponents Monaco in the play-offs. Chelsea moved straight into the last 16 by concluding sixth in the league stage.
The clubs faced off in the knockouts over three straight years from 2014 to 2016, Chelsea taking the first in the quarters while PSG won the subsequent two last-16 ties.
Their most recent meeting was in the July Club World Cup final in the United States, where Chelsea triumphed 3-0 over the prior seasons European kings.
Chelsea has been led by Liam Rosenior since January, having earlier managed Strasbourg where he encountered PSG in Ligue 1.
Arsenal drawn against Leverkusen while Newcastle get Barcelona
A record six English teams feature in the last 16. They avoid domestic matchups at this stage, though two all-English quarter-final possibilities exist.
Liverpool faces a last-16 repeat with Galatasaray, the Turkish outfit having edged the Merseyside team 1-0 in Septembers league phase.
The victor there will meet either PSG or Chelsea next, offering Liverpool a potential shot at settling the score from last years penalty loss to the French side.
Newcastle United draws Barcelona, starting at St James Park, the Catalans having won 2-1 on that ground in Septembers league action.
Tottenham Hotspur pulls Atletico Madrid, with that ties winner advancing to face Newcastle or Barcelona in the last eight.
Arsenal, who topped the league phase, meets Bayer Leverkusen, and a success would position them as strong contenders in a quarter-final versus Bodo/Glimt or Portugals Sporting.
Bodo/Glimts last-16 berth against Sporting rewards their play-off elimination of previous seasons runners-up Inter Milan.
Bayern Munich, Germanys champions, takes on Atalanta, the only remaining Italian entrant.
The opening legs occur on March 10 and 11, followed by the returns a week on. Sides that qualified directly by top-eight league phase finishes host the second matches.
This years Champions League decider happens at Budapests Puskas Arena on May 30.