Champions League Round of 16 Draws

The stage has been set, the ties have been created, the path forward has been paved. Champions League ROUND OF 16s are here.

Some teams have got a seemingly easy path till the finals and some teams need to put in the extra work to get through. Like every year there is a more dangerous side to the lot which has almost every team looking good to get through and the other side seems to have the easier ties at least till the semi-finals.

We saw many dramatic games and even more phenomenal results in the Play-offs for the Round of 16 which saw many dark horses advance and mostly Italian teams crash out. This Round of 16 will look to add even more to the entertainment as some of the fixtures have grabbed quite the eyeballs.

Let’s have a look at some of the key fixtures of the Round of 16-

 

• PSG Vs Liverpool– Liverpool would be blaming their luck as they topped the group and still have managed to draw PSG at the round of 16. PSG will look to continue their red hot form as they defeated Brest in the play-offs with the gigantic scoreline of 10-0 over the two legs of the tie.

This matchup would be the pick of the fixtures as both the teams have a good chance of qualifying. Liverpool, arguably has been the best team in the whole of Europe but of late have seemed to drop some form and on the other hand PSG who have been having some issues earlier in the Champions League seem to have found a renewed sense of purpose and have been sensational since the start of 2025. This match is the MVP of the fixtures and it will be played like one.

• Real Madrid Vs Atletico Madrid– The Madrid Derby has failed to provide any results twice domestically but this will be an important match in the Champions League. The last time these titans took on the battlefield was in 2017. Real have a supreme record against Atletico in the European stage but this match could be anyone’s for the taking.

Diego Simeone knows what it feels like to play Real Madrid in the Champions League and he will not be intimidated by it. This tie would be interesting as the 2nd leg would be played in the Metropolitano, Atletico’s home stadium.It won’t be less than a war when these two teams take on the field and the occasion of royal Champions League Nights will add to the gala of the affair.

• Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen– This match has already been played twice in the Bundesliga with nothing to separate the two on both the occasions. Bayern Munich managed a last minute win against Celtic in the playoffs and haven’t been convincing in the group stage as well.

On the other side of the pitch, Leverkusen have exceeded expectations as nobody thought they could continue their last season wonders but they have managed to stay on track as they finished 6th in the group stage and received automatic qualification. With that being said, Bayern are one of the European giants and can never underestimate them in the Champions league. This fixture will be very pivotal and might just decide who rules the reigns of Germany. 

• PSV Eindhoven Vs Arsenal– If both teams would have been fully fit, this match would not have been as exciting as it now has become. Injuries have plagued Arsenal at the most crucial time and they can’t afford to lose any more matches in the Premier League as well as they are trailing Liverpool to compete for the throne.

This pressure can get to Arsenal as they are without a number 9 and a depleted forward line. PSV might just smell the blood and go for the sucker-punch and that is all UCL nights are about. After defeating Juventus and Liverpool already in this campaign, PSV might just fancy their chances against Arsenal.

This Round of 16 promises a series of exciting matches ahead as every team would look to advance to the next stage.