Champions League last 16 draw: Draw permutations and how to watch
Europe’s best teams – including English pair Manchester City and Arsenal – will find out who they face next in the Champions League last 16 draw on Monday.
Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan and Napoli are among the dangers lurking for the Premier League contingent, but they cannot face fellow seeds including Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Barcelona.
And some big names will be missing, with past winners Manchester United, AC Milan, Benfica and Celtic among those eliminated when the group stage concluded last week.
Here is all you need to know about the Champions League last 16 draw – including who Manchester City and Arsenal can and can’t get.
When is the Champions League last 16 draw?
The draw is being held on Monday 18 December at 11am UK time at Uefa’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
It will be broadcast in the UK on TNT Sports and will also be available to stream on Uefa’s website.
How does the Champions League last 16 draw work?
The draw is seeded, with all group winners to be drawn against a team who finished second in their group.
There are two additional conditions: teams cannot meet an opponent they played in the group stage, nor one from the same domestic league as them.
Who can Manchester City get in the Champions League last 16 draw?
Holders City can meet any of the runners-up except RB Leipzig, who finished second to them in Group G.
That leaves potential last 16 ties against Copenhagen, Inter Milan, Lazio, Napoli, Porto, Paris Saint-Germain and PSV Eindhoven.
Who can Arsenal face in the Champions League last 16 draw?
The Londoners have seven possible opponents – their Group B rivals PSV Eindhoven are the only runners-up who they cannot get.
Arsenal will face one of Copenhagen, Inter Milan, Lazio, RB Leipzig, Napoli, Port, or Paris Saint-Germain.
What are the best and worst Champions League last 16 draws for Manchester City and Arsenal?
For both English sides, Copenhagen look the easiest opponent – on paper at least, having beaten Manchester United in the group stage.
Last season’s finalists Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain are the obvious teams to avoid, given their pedigree in the Champions League.
City may also want to avoid Napoli, who have landed blows on them in previous seasons and boast dangerous forwards in Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Arsenal will be glad they can’t face last 16 nemeses Bayern Munich and Barcelona but may not fancy Porto, having been knocked out of Europe by Portuguese opponents last year.
When is the Champions League last 16 played?
The two-legged ties will be held during February and March, and are staggered to spread them over four weeks.
The first batch of first legs will be played on 13 and 14 February, with the remainder on 20 and 21 February. The second legs are slated for 5 and 6 March and 12 and 13 March.