Arsenal to Face Porto in Champions League Last-16 Draw, Real Madrid Draw RB Leipzig
In Monday’s Champions League last-16 draw, Arsenal found out they will be facing Porto, while Real Madrid have been drawn against RB Leipzig.
Reigning Champions League winners Manchester City will be playing Copenhagen. However, Manchester United finished bottom of their Champions League group, meaning they will have no continental football in the second half of the season. Fellow Premier League side Newcastle United were also knocked out of Europe altogether, finishing last in their group.
The group stage will be the last of its kind, with UEFA introducing a new format styled on the so-called ‘Swiss model’ from next season. This new format will see one big group replace the existing format and will feature an expanded 36-team league.
The last-16 draw consisted of the eight teams that won their Champions League groups being seeded, while the eight runners-up were unseeded. Each tie consists of one seeded team and one unseeded one. However, teams from the same country could not be drawn against each other, with these restrictions being lifted from the quarter-finals onwards.
The first and second legs of the last-16 ties will be played across two weeks each, with the first legs taking place on February 13/14 and February 20/21, and the second legs on March 5/6 and March 12/13.
Looking ahead, the quarter-final and semi-final draw will take place on March 15, 2024, with the quarter-finals to be played on April 9/10 and 16/17, and the semi-finals on April 30/May 1 and May 7/8. The final will be held on June 1, 2024 at London’s Wembley Stadium.
The draw and upcoming matches have fans eager to see which team will come out on top and ultimately make it to the final.