Galatasaray faces Liverpool in Champions League last 16
NYON, Switzerland
Galatasaray will face Liverpool in the Champions League round of 16, with the Turkish champions hosting the first leg in Istanbul before traveling to Anfield for the return.
Okan Buruk's side finished 20th in the new 36-team league phase, forcing them into the knockout playoffs, where they survived a dramatic 7-5 aggregate win over Juventus. After a commanding 5-2 victory in Istanbul, Galatasaray nearly saw their advantage wiped out in Turin, but two extra-time goals secured their progression.
Liverpool, managed by Arne Slot, finished in the top eight of the league phase to earn a seeded berth. Built on defensive discipline and efficiency, the English side enters the knockout stage as strong contenders for a seventh European crown.
The two sides have fresh history this season, with Galatasaray stunning Liverpool 1-0 in the league phase at Rams Park. Victor Osimhen scored on a quick counterattack while Abdülkerim Bardakcı and Davinson Sanchez marshaled a compact back line to keep Liverpool at bay.
Real Madrid and Manchester City will meet for the fifth consecutive season in the Champions League knockout stage. The Spanish side will host City at the Santiago Bernabeu next month before traveling to England for the second leg. Pep Guardiola’s side defeated Madrid 2-1 in the league phase in December. Madrid advanced through the knockout playoff by beating Benfica 3-1 on aggregate.
PSG will be at home to Chelsea in the first leg after qualifying for this stage with a 5-4 aggregate win over Ligue 1 rivals Monaco in the play-offs. Chelsea progressed straight to the last 16 after finishing sixth in the league phase.
The sides played each other in the knockout stages in three consecutive years from 2014 to 2016, with Chelsea winning the first of those confrontations in the quarterfinals and PSG triumphing in the last 16 in the following two.
Their last encounter came in July's Club World Cup final in the United States, when Chelsea won 3-0 against last season's European champions.
Chelsea have been coached since January by Liam Rosenior, who had previously come up against PSG in Ligue 1 as coach of Strasbourg.
Other notable round-of-16 ties include Newcastle United facing Barcelona, Atletico Madrid meeting Tottenham Hotspur, Atalanta drawn with Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen against Arsenal and Bodø/Glimt paired with Sporting CP.
Meanwhile, Fenerbahçe showed fight but fell short in the Europa League late on Feb. 26. The Turkish club won 2-1 at Nottingham Forest in the second leg of the last-16 playoff, with Kerem Aktürkoğlu scoring both goals, including a penalty in the 48th minute. Callum Hudson-Odoi pulled one back for Forest, but the 3-0 first-leg loss in Istanbul ended Fenerbahçe’s campaign.