Who are the Champions League favourites ahead of round of 16 draw?

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The Champions League last-16 draw takes place today, with Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Newcastle all set to find out their opponents. Six Premier League clubs have advanced to the knockout stage, and after this week’s play-off round wrapped up, they are about to learn their potential paths to the final.

Arsenal topped the league phase with a perfect record of eight wins from eight matches and are the bookmakers’ favourites to claim their first-ever Champions League title. Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Newcastle are also in the mix for some high-profile clashes, as European heavyweights like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bayern Munich are among the 16 teams awaiting the draw.

Earlier this week, each English club that reached the last 16 knew they could be drawn against one of four possible teams. Now, with the play-offs concluded, that number has been reduced to two ahead of Friday’s draw.

The earliest possible all-English tie could see Newcastle face Chelsea in the last 16. Other potential all-Premier League matchups, such as Manchester City vs. Arsenal or Chelsea/Newcastle vs. Tottenham/Liverpool, could only occur in the quarter-finals.

The draw for the Champions League last 16 takes place on Friday at 11:00 GMT, with Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Tottenham already qualified, and Newcastle joining them after a 9-3 aggregate victory over Qarabag in the play-offs. The eight play-off winners join the top eight teams from the league phase in the draw.

Friday’s draw will also determine each team’s side of the bracket, outlining their possible opponents for the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final. The first legs of the last-16 ties are scheduled for 10 or 11 March, with the return fixtures on 17 or 18 March. The 2025-26 Champions League final will be held at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, on 30 May.

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