After securing the top spot in the Champions League group stage, Arsenal is gearing up for the knockout stages. With a perfect record of eight wins, we've earned the right to skip the playoff round and enjoy home advantage throughout the knockout stages. But who could we face in the last 16? Let's dive into the details and explore the potential matchups.
Qualified Teams
Several teams have already secured their spots in the last 16, including:
- Bayern Munich: Finished second, with the only points dropped to Arsenal in November.
- Liverpool: Finished third.
- Tottenham: Finished fourth.
- Chelsea: Another Premier League team that advanced.
- Manchester City: Another Premier League team that advanced.
- Sporting Lisbon: Secured the final spot with a dramatic 94th-minute winner.
Potential Opponents
The remaining teams that could join them in the last 16 are:
- Real Madrid: Finished ninth, just ahead of last season's finalists, Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain.
- Inter Milan: Finished ninth, paired with Real Madrid in the playoff round.
- Juventus: Finished in the top 16 and will be seeded in the playoff round draw.
- Atletico Madrid: Finished in the top 16 and will be seeded in the playoff round draw.
- Atalanta: Finished in the top 16 and will be seeded in the playoff round draw.
- Bayer Leverkusen: Finished in the top 16 and will be seeded in the playoff round draw.
- Borussia Dortmund: Finished in the top 16 and will be seeded in the playoff round draw.
- Olympiacos: Finished in the top 16 and will be seeded in the playoff round draw.
Seeding and Draw
The top eight qualifiers, including Arsenal, will be placed in the bracket at the last 16 stage. As the top team, we know we'll face one of the sides that finished between 15th and 18th spot, which are:
- Atalanta
- Bayer Leverkusen
- Borussia Dortmund
- Olympiacos
The draw to determine the playoff round matchups will take place on Friday at 11 am UK time, reducing our potential pool of opponents to two.
Schedule
The first leg of the playoff round will take place on February 17-18, followed by the second leg on February 24-25. After that, we'll know who our opponent will be. There will then be another draw on February 27 to plot out the remaining fixtures for the rest of the knockout stages, and allow us to map out a route to the final.
The last-16 gets underway in March, with the first leg away from home on 10-11th, before we host our opponents at Emirates Stadium on 17-18 March.
