Chelsea route to Champions League final: Blues could get Liverpool showdown after nightmare draw | OneFootball

Blues finished sixth in the league phase and face a tough route through the knockout phase

The league phase campaign that started out with Enzo Maresca as head coach and was then completed by Liam Rosenior saw Chelsea finish sixth, thus avoiding a knockout round play-off.

Chelsea will take on holders Paris Saint-Germain, in the most difficult of the two possible outcomes. The Blues could have been drawn against fellow Premier League side Newcastle - setting up a trilogy of games next month - which then could have led to a quarter-final tie against Atletico Madrid or Tottenham.

PSG, who thumped Inter Milan 5-0 in last season’s final to be crowned champions of Europe for the very first time, needed a play-off tie once again and they beat fellow Ligue 1 side Monaco 5-4 on aggregate.

As a result of a top eight league phase finish, Chelsea will have the advantage of playing the second leg of their last-16 tie at Stamford Bridge.

Should Chelsea knock out Paris Saint-Germain, they will face either Galatasaray or Liverpool in the quarter-finals. The Reds will be favourites to overcome the Turkish side, but they were beaten by a Victor Osimhen penalty in the league phase.

Victory in the quarter-final would earn Chelsea a blockbuster semi-final clash.

Real Madrid, Manchester City, Atalanta and Bayern Munich are the four potential opponents, as Man City face Los Blancos once again, while Atalanta aim to overcome German opposition in successive rounds after beating Borussia Dortmund in the play-offs.

If the Blues were to reach the final in Budapest on May 30, they could take on London rivals Arsenal at the Puskas Arena.

Arsenal are on the other side of the draw along with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, but on current form the Gunners will be favourites to go all the way.

Quarter-finals: Liverpool

Final: Arsenal