Premier League giants set for blockbuster Champions League ties

KATHMANDU: The UEFA Champions League last-16 draw has produced several blockbuster ties, with Premier League giants set for high-profile European showdowns.

Chelsea FC will take on reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain in a mouth-watering rematch of last season’s FIFA Club World Cup final, where Chelsea stunned PSG 3–0.

Meanwhile, Manchester City will face Real Madrid CF for the fifth consecutive season in the knockout stages, continuing one of modern football’s fiercest European rivalries.

Despite six Premier League clubs reaching the last 16, there will be no all-English clashes this time. Table-toppers Arsenal FC have been drawn against German champions Bayer Leverkusen.

Newcastle United FC will go head-to-head with Spanish giants FC Barcelona, while Liverpool FC are set to meet Turkish champions Galatasaray SK.

Tottenham Hotspur FC will face Atlético Madrid in another heavyweight encounter.

The first legs will be played on March 10 and 11, with the return fixtures scheduled for March 17 and 18.

Newcastle will host Barcelona in the first leg, while the other Premier League clubs will play the second legs at home after finishing higher in the league phase.

Manchester City, Newcastle, and Liverpool have already faced their respective opponents during the league phase this season.

City claimed a famous away victory in Madrid in December — their ninth meeting with Real Madrid since April 2022.

The final will be staged at Puskás Aréna in Budapest on May 30.

If Newcastle and Tottenham both reach the quarterfinals, they will meet each other. In the other half of the draw, a potential all-English quarterfinal between Chelsea and Liverpool is also on the cards.