The 2024-25 UEFA Champions League is entering its most thrilling phase with the group stage and knockout playoff round behind us! After months of exciting matches leading up to this moment, the draw for the Champions League Round of 16 is complete, resulting in the tie of the round pitting English Premier League leaders Liverpool and French Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain against each other in the knockout stage. 

The draw for the Round of 16 took place on Friday (February 21st) in Switzerland, and the matchups for the quarter-finals and semi-finals were also determined. The top European clubs are gearing up for the ultimate battle where every move matters, as they fight for a place in the quarter-finals and continue their journey towards winning the prestigious trophy. The teams will face off in two-legged knockout ties, with the seeded (or highest ranking) teams hosting the second leg. The winners, determined by the aggregate score over both matches, will advance to the next round. 

The first legs of those last 16 ties will be played on Tuesday, March 4th and Wednesday, March 5th. The second legs will follow a week later on Tuesday, March 11th and Wednesday, March 12th. 

Here’s a breakdown of what to expect for the Champions League home and away legs in the upcoming Round of 16:

First legs

Tuesday, March 4th

●     Club Brugge vs Aston Villa (18:45 CET)

●     Borussia Dortmund vs Lille

●     PSV vs Arsenal

●     Real Madrid vs Atleti

Wednesday, March 5th

●     Feyenoord vs Inter (18:45 CET)

●     Bayern München vs Leverkusen

●     Benfica vs Barcelona

●     Paris vs Liverpool

Second legs

Tuesday, March 11th

●     Barcelona vs Benfica (18:45 CET)

●     Inter vs Feyenoord

●     Leverkusen vs Bayern München

●     Liverpool vs Paris

Wednesday, March 12th

●     Lille vs Borussia Dortmund (18:45 CET)

●     Arsenal vs PSV

●     Aston Villa vs Club Brugge

●     Atleti vs Real Madrid

Also, here’s a breakdown of the results for the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League Quarter-final and Semi-final draws:

Quarter-final 1:

●     Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)/Liverpool (ENG) vs Club Brugge (BEL)/Aston Villa (ENG)

Quarter-final 2:

●     PSV (NED)/Arsenal (ENG) vs Real Madrid (ESP)/Atlético de Madrid (ESP)

Quarter-final 3:

●     Benfica (POR)/Barcelona (ESP) vs Borussia Dortmund (GER)/Lille (FRA)

Quarter-final 4:

●     Bayern Munich (GER)/ Bayer Leverkusen (GER) vs Feyenoord (NED)/Inter (ITA)

Semi Final:

●     Quarter-final 2 winner vs Quarter-final 1 winner

●     Quarter-final 3 winner vs Quarter-final 4 winner

2024/25 UEFA Champions League: Key Dates

●     4-5 March: Round of 16, first leg

●     11-12 March: Round of 16, second leg

●     8-9 April: Quarter-finals, first leg

●     15-16 April: Quarter-finals, second leg

●     29-30 April: Semi-finals, first leg

●     6-7 May: Semi-finals, second leg

●     31 May 2025: Final

Not sure what to expect for the teams facing off in the upcoming Round of 16 knockout stage? Keep reading for a preview of the exciting two-legged matchups:

1.   Paris Saint-Germain vs. Liverpool

One of the most anticipated matches taking place in the Round of 16 is the thrilling clash between two powerhouse teams. PSG promises a resilient attack from their team, led by Ousmane Dembélé, who has proven his worth scoring 6 goals in this season’s competition so far. But Liverpool shouldn’t be underestimated as they’ve been tough to break up until this point as well, conceding just five times during the first phase of the competition.

2.   Club Brugge vs. Aston Villa

Brugge returns to the knockout stage after a hard-fought journey where they just barely qualified in the first phase of the tournament. They’re facing off against the team some are referring to as the ‘dark horse’, Aston Villa, after their impressive first round where they went onto win five out of eight games and claim one of the eight automatic berths for the round of 16.

3.   Real Madrid vs. Atlético Madrid

This is one of two match-ups pitting clubs from the same country against each other, which is being referred to as a ‘Madrid Derby’. Both teams are very strong when on the attack and we’re predicting a high-scoring match when all is said and done. Both sides have already battled to a pair of 1-1 draws in LaLiga this season, making things extra close between these two heated rivals.

4.   PSV Eindhoven vs. Arsenal

Arsenal has been a dominating force in the tournament so far, but Eindhoven’s resilience means they’ll be no easy opponent to beat. Both teams have met in recent seasons, making this an exciting game we won’t want to miss!

5.   Feyenoord vs. Inter Milan

There’s no denying that Feyenoord has overcome many challenges to reach this point. They’re set to face possibly their greatest challenge so far against Inter Milan. Fans of the powerhouse team know that their defense is typically rock solid, but there’s still a chance they’ll end up on top.

6.   Bayern Munich vs. Bayer Leverkusen

Fans are excited for this battle with two German teams, considered the best of Bundesliga, going head-to-head. Both teams have had strong seasons so far, but Bayern will need to improve after their less impressive first round.

7.   Borussia Dortmund vs. Lille OSC

One player to watch out for that’s shown promise this season is Jonathan David from Lille OSC. Borussia Dortmund is definitely feeling the pressure after witnessing his unmatched goal scoring ability this season.

8.   Benfica vs. Barcelona

We can’t wait to see the outcome of the rematch between Benfica and Barcelona after their first thrilling encounter in the group stage. Barcelona’s attack being led by Lewandowski and Raphinha is setting up to be a challenge for Benfica.