Now that the Champions League play-off round is completed, the Premier League sides left in the competition have a clearer picture of their potential routes to the final.
Manchester City crashed out of the Champions League after they sustained a 3-1 defeat (6-3 aggregate) against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday evening, thanks to Kylian Mbappe's hat-trick.
Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa are the three remaining Premier League sides left in this year’s competition.
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But they have yet to learn their opponents in the round of 16, with the draw set to take place in Nyon, Switzerland, at 11 am on Friday.
However, the new ‘seeding’ system used by UEFA has made the aforementioned sides’ routes to this year’s final clearer.
Liverpool will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Benfica in the round of 16, while Arsenal will face PSV Eindhoven or Feyenoord.
As for Villa, they could face Borussia Dortmund or Club Brugge.
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In Friday’s draw, sides will be seeded based on their group phase ranking, with Liverpool finishing top, Arsenal in third and Villa in eighth.
According to UEFA’s website, “the clubs are paired based on their positions at the end of the league phase to form four seeded pairs (clubs in positions 1 and 2, 3 and 4, 5 and 6, 7 and 8).
“The clubs in each seeded pair are drawn into one of two positions in the round of 16 against the relevant winner of the knockout phase play-offs, whose position was determined by the knockout phase play-off draw.”
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The ‘pairs’- for example, Barcelona and Liverpool – will not face each other until the final, which will take place on May 31 at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.
This means Arsenal cannot face Inter Milan until the final, and Villa will not play French side Lille until May’s showpiece event.
There will be a 'blue side' and a 'silver side' of the draw - and this will influence teams' routes to the final.
Liverpool's potential route:
In the last eight, the Reds could face Club Brugge, Lille, Aston Villa or Borussia Dortmund.
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While possible semi-final opponents include Real Madrid, PSV, Inter Milan, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid and Feyenoord.
Arsenal's potential route:
In the quarter-finals, Arsenal could face Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid or Real Madrid.
Potential semi-final opponents include PSG, Liverpool, Barcelona, Club Brugge, Lille, Aston Villa, Benfica and Borussia Dortmund.
Aston Villa's potential route:
In they were to get through the round of 16, in which Aston Villa will play either Borussia Dortmund or Club Brugge, Unai Emery's side could face PSG, Benfica, Liverpool or Barcelona in the last eight before a potential semi-final with Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid, Feyenoord, Inter Milan, Arsenal, Real Madrid or PSV.
Clubs in Champions League round of 16 draw
Liverpool
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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
Topics: Champions League, Premier League, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa
Luke Alfred Davies