Champions League round of 16 draw simulated: Arsenal and Liverpool get favourable ties as Barcelona face PSG

The draw for the Champions League round of 16 is now just hours away and the quarter-final and semi-final path will become clearer.

Following the conclusion of the knockout phase playoffs, the stage is set as 15 teams aim to dethrone Real Madrid come Saturday, 31 May, 2025 at the Allianz Arena in Munich.

Feyenoord, PSV Eindhoven and Club Brugge have also progressed after knocking out AC Milan, Juventus and Atalanta respectively in a nightmare week for the Italian sides.

Meanwhile, it has been a period of rest from European competition for the teams that finished in the top eight as the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa did not have to navigate a two-legged tie having qualified straight through to the last 16.

So ahead of Friday’s draw, who will be paired with who? Well, the eight seeded sides each have two possibilities based on the final rankings from the league phase and a Champions League knockout stage simulator has determined their potential opponents in the round of 16 and it’s safe to say the results are quite fascinating.

In this simulation, Premier League leaders Liverpool have avoided a tie with Paris Saint-Germain – who put 10 past Brest over two legs – to face Darwin Nunez’s former club Benfica.