The three remaining English teams in the competition won’t meet certain opponents until the final showdown in Munich, Germany, this May.
With the Champions League play-off round now complete, Premier League clubs have a clearer idea of their potential paths to the final.
Manchester City were eliminated after suffering a 3-1 defeat (6-3 on aggregate) against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night, with Kylian Mbappe scoring a hat-trick.
This leaves Arsenal, Liverpool, and Aston Villa as the only Premier League representatives still in the tournament.
However, they have yet to discover their round-of-16 opponents, as the draw is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Friday in Nyon, Switzerland.
UEFA’s updated ‘seeding’ system has helped outline each team’s journey to the final.
Liverpool will take on either Paris Saint-Germain or Benfica in the round of 16.
Arsenal will face PSV Eindhoven or Feyenoord.
Aston Villa could be drawn against Borussia Dortmund or Club Brugge.
Friday’s draw will seed teams based on their group-stage rankings, with Liverpool finishing first, Arsenal third, and Villa eighth.
How the Seeding System Works
According to UEFA, teams are paired based on their league phase standings:
Positions 1 & 2, 3 & 4, 5 & 6, and 7 & 8 form four seeded pairs.
These teams will be drawn into separate halves of the bracket and will only face each other in the final.
For example, Barcelona and Liverpool are paired, meaning they cannot meet before the final on May 31 at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena.
Similarly, Arsenal cannot play Inter Milan before the final, and Villa won’t face Lille until then.
The draw will be split into a ‘blue side’ and a ‘silver side,’ which will dictate each team’s possible route to the final.
Possible Paths to the Final
Liverpool’s Route
Quarter-finals: Potential opponents include Club Brugge, Lille, Aston Villa, or Borussia Dortmund.
Semi-finals: Possible matchups with Real Madrid, PSV, Inter Milan, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid, or Feyenoord.
Arsenal’s Route
Quarter-finals: Could face Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid, or Real Madrid.
Semi-finals: Possible opponents include PSG, Liverpool, Barcelona, Club Brugge, Lille, Aston Villa, Benfica, or Borussia Dortmund.
Aston Villa’s Route
Round of 16: Will face either Borussia Dortmund or Club Brugge.
Quarter-finals: Potential opponents include PSG, Benfica, Liverpool, or Barcelona.
Semi-finals: Could meet Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid, Feyenoord, Inter Milan, Arsenal, Real Madrid, or PSV.
Teams in the Round of 16 Draw
Liverpool
Barcelona
Arsenal
Inter Milan
Atletico Madrid
Bayer Leverkusen
Lille
Aston Villa
Bayern Munich
Benfica
Club Brugge
Feyenoord
Borussia Dortmund
Paris Saint-Germain
Real Madrid
PSV Eindhoven
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