The road to Budapest for the final 32 teams in the UEFA Champions League is now laid out following the UCL draw at the UEFA House of Football in Nyon, Switzerland on Feb. 27. After a mini tussle with the first ball, due to the ‘cream on his hands,' special guest Ivan Rakitić eventually got the draw underway, setting the stage for another season of continental drama.
As the bracket is revealed in Nyon, the draw has yielded a mix of historical and recent grudges along with unprecedented nordic fairy tales that look set to redefine the European football landscape.
1. Real Madrid vs Man City
In what has now become a modern European "Clasico", Manchester City and Real Madrid have been drawn together in the knockouts for a fifth consecutive season. Real Madrid narrowly survived a tense play-off against Benfica, where Vinicius Jr. scored an 80th-minute winner to secure a 3-1 aggregate win.
These two clubs also met in the League phase of the tournament at the Bernabeu where City completed a first-half comeback to grab a 2-1 victory, courtesy an Erling Haaland penalty.
Last season, these two teams met in the UCL Playoffs where Real Madrid completed a late turnaround to beat City 3-2 at the Etihad, before finishing the job in ruthless fashion with a Kylian Mbappe hat-trick at the Bernabeu, handing City a 6-3 drubbing on aggregate.
This season, City have been resurgent, qualifying for the Round of 16 directly, courtesy their eighth-placed finish in the League phase, while Madrid finished directly below them.
2. PSG vs Chelsea
In a rematch of the Club World Cup Final last July, PSG will have an opportunity over two legs to avenge their heavy 3-0 loss against Chelsea. However, the reigning champions aren't in the best of shape, having narrowly avoided disaster, squeezing past Monaco 5-4 on aggregate after a frantic 2-2 draw in the second leg of their playoff.
It has been a decade since these two teams have faced each other in the Champions League knockout stage. Back in 2016, these two teams met in the Round-of-16 for the second consecutive season. The French Champions beat Chelsea 2-1 in their own backyard at Stamford Bridge, knocking them out for a second consecutive season with a heavy 4-2 aggregate win.
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However, Chelsea's more recent victory at the Club World Cup provided a rude wake-up call to a PSG side that won six trophies in 2025.
With a new man at the helm, we'll have to wait to find out whether Chelsea will once again prove to be a thorn in the reigning champion's side or whether the Parisians will be able to get over their recent slump and to keep their title-defense alive.
3. Bodo Glimt vs Sporting
If you're looking for pure, unadulterated chaos, then look towards the Arctic Circle, where Norway's Bodo Glimt continue their dream run in the competition. After dismantling last season's runners-up Inter Milan 5-2 on aggregate in the playoffs, Glimt now face Portuguese champions Sporting CP.
Sporting cruised through the league phase, but they'll now have to brave the freezing winds and artifical turf of the Aspmyra Stadion where Inter were handed a 3-1 defeat. For the Portuguese giants, it promises to be a high-stakes test of temperament, for Glimt, it's a chance to become the first Norwegian quarter-finalists in nearly 30 years.
4. Newcastle United vs Barcelona
Newcastle United have reached the knockout stages of the UCL for the first time in their history after thumping Qarabag 9-3 on aggregate in the playoffs. Their reward is a heavyweight clash against FC Barcelona, a team they faced in the league phase of the tournament.
During that September meeting, Barcelona walked away from St. James' Park with a 2-1 victory, courtesy a Marcus Rashford brace. However, Newcastle finished that game with more shots on target despite typically enjoying only 39% possession.
The Magpies reached the knockouts having won six matches in a single UCL campaign for the first time. With the first leg back at St. James' Park, the Toon will be looking to prove that their worthy of a seat at the table of European royalty.
Here's a look at the full bracket of the competition, with the potential path to the finals laid out for each team.
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