Liverpool and Arsenal set for huge boost as Champions League draw takes shape

Need to know

All the Premier League sides in the Champions League draw will receive a financial boost for making it to the round of 16

Everything you need to know about the Champions League round of 16

1. Who’s in the Champions League draw?: Arsenal topped the Champions League table and qualified automatically. Tottenham, Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea also sailed straight through, with Newcastle thrashing Qarabag to advance through the play-off phase.
2. How much have they earned?: For the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League season, the financial boost for reaching the round of 16 is not to be sniffed at. Each club that has made it to this stage receives a fixed performance bonus of £9.5million (€11m).
3. Who could Arsenal face?: The Gunners finished top of the Champions League table and will be heading either to Italy or Germany. They’ll face off against either Atalanta or Bayer Leverkusen.
4. Who could Liverpool come up against?: The Reds came third in the table and will be hoping to push through the round of 16 smoothly. They could face Galatasaray or Atletico Madrid.
5. Chelsea’s potential Champions League draw: The Blues have a tougher fight on their hands. They could head north to take on fellow Premier League side Newcastle, or make a trip to France, where reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain lie in wait.
6. Who are Tottenham’s potential opponents?: Spurs may be faring well in Europe, but they have two formidable foes they could potentially encounter. They also have Atletico or Galatasaray awaiting them in the round of 16.
7. Who could Manchester City face?: City just made it into the top eight of the Champions League table, finishing one point ahead of potential round of 16 rival, Real Madrid. Bodo/Glimt are the other option for Pep Guardiola’s side.
8. Newcastle’s upcoming rivals: The Magpies thrashed Qarabag 9-3 on aggregate in the knockout round to make it to the round of 16. They will come up against Chelsea or Barcelona.
9. How does the Champions League draw work?: The Champions League draw has shifted away from the traditional “random pots” format to a bracket-based structure, comparable to a tennis tournament. This guarantees that the sides who excelled in the league phase are rewarded with a more favourable route and cannot meet each other until the final stages, though it doesn’t always turn out that way.
10. Key rule changes: In the knockout rounds, sides from the same league can now face each other. You may witness an all-Premier League or all-La Liga encounter as early as the round of 16.
11. Seeded teams’ advantage: Those who have finished in the top eight of the Champions League standings will hold an advantage over their opponents. They will play the second leg at home.
12. READ MORE ABOUT THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW HERE: Champions League last-16 draw as Premier League clubs learn potential opponents

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