Real Madrid and Manchester City will meet in the Champions League round of 16 for the fifth consecutive season after Friday’s draw, while defending champions Paris Saint-Germain were paired with Chelsea.
The first leg between Madrid and City will be held at the Santiago Bernabeu next month, with the return leg in England the following week. The sides already faced each other this season, with Pep Guardiola’s City winning 2-1 in Madrid in December. City, winners of the 2023 Champions League, advanced directly to the round of 16, while Madrid progressed through the knockout play-offs with a 3-1 aggregate win over Benfica.
This marks the eighth season the clubs have met in European competition since 2012. Real Madrid defeated City in last season’s knockout play-offs and in the 2024 quarter-finals on the way to lifting the trophy. City won the semi-finals in 2023, while Madrid triumphed at the same stage in 2022.
PSG will host Chelsea in the first leg after edging Ligue 1 rivals Monaco 5-4 on aggregate in the play-offs. Chelsea, who finished sixth in the league phase, progressed directly to the round of 16. The sides previously met in the knockout stages from 2014 to 2016 and most recently in July’s Club World Cup final in the U.S., where Chelsea won 3-0. PSG coach Luis Enrique called the draw “fascinating” but stressed it “will not be about revenge.” Chelsea have been managed since January by Liam Rosenior, who previously faced PSG as Strasbourg coach.
Six English clubs feature in this year’s round of 16, with no all-English clashes at this stage but two potential all-English quarter-finals. Notable ties include:
Liverpool vs Galatasaray – A rematch of a September league-phase defeat. The winner could face PSG or Chelsea in the quarter-finals.
Newcastle United vs Barcelona – First leg at St James’ Park; Barcelona won 2-1 in September. Winners could meet Tottenham Hotspur or Atletico Madrid in the quarters.
Arsenal vs Bayer Leverkusen – Arsenal, league-phase leaders, may face Bodo/Glimt or Sporting of Portugal in the quarter-finals.
Bayern Munich vs Atalanta – The only remaining Italian club faces German champions Bayern.
First legs are scheduled for March 10-11, with return legs a week later. Teams that qualified directly from the league phase will host the second legs.
The 2026 Champions League final will be held at the Puskas Arena on May 30.
