The Champions League group stages are over and we’ve got a much better idea of who will play who in the knockout stages. Who will the English sides and Celtic face?
Pep Guardiola faces a potential return to Bayern Munich in the play-offs after his Manchester City side beat Club Brugge to continue their Champions League campaign.
But City will face a tough test to reach the last 16 with City and Celtic facing either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid for a chance to play Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen after that in the last 16.
Aston Villa snuck into the top eight by the skin of their teeth after Atalanta failed to beat Barcelona and dropped into the play-offs, meaning Unai Emery’s side will face one of Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund, Sporting or Club Brugge in the last 16.
Arsenal and Liverpool already knew their automatic progression was secured.
Liverpool top the overall table and will now face one of Paris Saint-Germain, Benfica, Monaco or Brest.
Arsenal could face one of two Serie A giants with AC Milan, PSV, Feyenoord or Juventus their possible last-16 opponents.
Champions League knockout schedule
- January 31: Play-off round draw
- February 11-12 and 18-19: Play-off first and second legs
- February 21: Last-16 draw
- March 4-5 and 11-12: Last 16 first and second legs
- April 8-9 and 15-16: Quarter-final first and second legs
- April 29-30 and May 6-7: Semi-final first and second legs
- May 31: Champions League final at Allianz Arena
Who will British teams play in the next round – and who could they face in the last 16?
Liverpool (Ranked No 1)
Round of 16: vs PSG (15th), Benfica (16th), Monaco (17th) or Brest (18th).
Arsenal (Ranked No 3)
Round of 16: vs AC Milan (13th), PSV (14th), Feyenoord (19th) or Juventus (20th).
Aston Villa (Ranked No 8)
Round of 16: vs Atalanta (9th), Borussia Dortmund (10th), Sporting (23rd) or Club Brugge (24th).
Celtic (Ranked No 21)
Knockout playoffs: vs Bayern Munich (11th) or Real Madrid (12th).
Round of 16: vs Atletico Madrid (5th) or Bayer Leverkusen (6th).
Manchester City (Ranked No 22)
Knockout playoffs: vs Bayern Munich (11th) or Real Madrid (12th).
Round of 16: vs Atletico Madrid (5th) or Bayer Leverkusen (6th).
Why there could be two all-British quarter-finals…
We won’t know the exact format of the tournament beyond the play-offs until February, when the last-16 draw is held.
But, there is a chance there could be two all-British quarter-finals.
After finishing first and eighth, should Liverpool and Aston Villa win their last-16 games they may well end up facing one another in the last eight.
Likewise one of Celtic and Manchester City will set up a potential quarter-final with Arsenal if they win their play-offs and then beat Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen.
Who are all the teams through to the next round?
Confirmed in round of 16
Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille, Aston Villa.
Confirmed in knockout phase play-offs
Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, AC Milan, PSV, PSG, Benfica, Monaco, Brest, Feyenoord, Juventus, Celtic, Man City, Sporting, Club Brugge.
Eliminated
Dinamo Zagreb, Stuttgart, Shakhtar Donetsk, Bologna, Crvena Zvezda, Sturm Graz, Sparta Prague, RB Leipzig, Girona, RB Salzburg, Slovan Bratislava, Young Boys.
With the Champions League group stage coming to a close, football fans are eagerly awaiting the knockout stage draw to see who their favorite teams will face next. As Liverpool, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Celtic, and Man City all look set to progress to the next round, let’s take a look at the possible permutations and potential opponents for each team.
Liverpool, who are currently topping their group, could face tough opponents such as Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, or Inter Milan in the knockout stages. Arsenal, on the other hand, are likely to face teams like Barcelona, Juventus, or Atletico Madrid if they finish as runners-up in their group.
Aston Villa, making their return to the Champions League after a long absence, could potentially face PSG, Ajax, or RB Leipzig in the next round. Celtic, who have had a strong showing in the group stage, might come up against teams like Manchester United, AC Milan, or Porto in the knockout stages.
Lastly, Manchester City, one of the favorites to win the competition, could face tough opponents such as PSG, Real Madrid, or Inter Milan in the next round.
As the group stage comes to a close, football fans will be eagerly awaiting the knockout stage draw to see who their favorite teams will be facing next. Stay tuned for more updates on the Champions League permutations and potential matchups for Liverpool, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Celtic, and Man City.
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Champions League permutations, Liverpool, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Celtic, Man City, knockout stages, football news, UEFA Champions League, potential opponents, group stage results, round of 16 matchups, European football, top clubs, football analysis.
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