Premier League clubs’ potential Champions League opponents, play-off ties, and key 2026 dates | OneFootball

Premier League clubs have shone in the Champions League this season, with each of the record six English entrants earning qualification to the knockout rounds.

Five of those teams;Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Manchester City, have qualified directly for the last 16 after securing a top-eight finish in the league phase. Newcastle, who ended 12th, will face a play-off tie next month.

Ahead of Friday's draw, here are the possible opponents for eachPremier League team.

Each team’s position in the league phase will determine which teams they will face in the play-off round and last 16. The teams who finished ninth and 10th are paired together, 11th and 12th, 13th and 14th, and so on.

The top eight will face the eight play-off winners in the last 16. Those teams have also been placed into brackets.

Liverpool and Tottenham have been paired after finishing third and fourth in the league phase. Therefore, their potential opponents for the Round of 16 are the same, as things stand. The clubs who qualified in the top eight will play the second leg of the last-16 ties at home.

Arsenal

Potential last-16 opponents: Atalanta, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund and Olympiacos.

Liverpool

Potential last-16 opponents: Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Galatasaray and Club Brugge.

Tottenham Hotspur

Potential last-16 opponents: Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Galatasaray and Club Brugge.

Chelsea

Potential last-16 opponents: Paris Saint-Germain, Newcastle United, Qarabag, AS Monaco.

Manchester City

Potential last-16 opponents: Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Benfica, Bodo/Glimt.

Newcastle

Potential play-off opponents: Qarabag or AS Monaco.

Potential last-16 opponents: Barcelona or Chelsea.

When is the Champions League knockout phase play-off draw?

The draw for the 2025-26 play-off round will take place on Friday 30th January 2026, in Nyon, Switzerland. It will take place at 11am GMT.

When will the knockout phase play-off games take place?

The play-off round will be two-legged ties, with the first fixtures scheduled forFebruary 17th and 18th, and the returns a week later on February 24th and 25th.

The winners of the ties will progress to the Round of 16, to face the top eight teams from the league phase. A draw will take place for the Round of 16 fixtures on Friday 27th February 2026.

Champions League knock-out phase schedule