Arsenal have guaranteed their spot in the Champions League round of 16 with a perfect record, and are well-placed for another deep run in the competition, having secured first place in the final league phase standings.
They’ll now benefit from taking on a supposedly middling opponent in the last 16, and will play the second legs of all knockout ties on home soil—a perk the Gunners didn’t earn last season, despite finishing as high as third in the opening phase of the competition then.
While discourse surrounding the New England Patriots’ “cupcake” schedule amid their unlikely journey to Super Bowl LX has been rife, Arsenal cannot be accused of treading an easy path on their way to Champions League perfection. Mikel Arteta’s side have so far beaten Atlético Madrid, second-place Bayern Munich and [Inter](https://www.si.com/soccer/team/inter-milan).
Supporters can thus have their feet up for a few weeks until the round of 16 gets underway, with Wednesday’s games confirming [Arsenal](https://www.si.com/soccer/team/arsenal)’s next step on their route to the final.
Here are Arsenal’s potential round of 16 opponents.
Arsenal’s Potential Champions League Round of 16 Opponents
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Borussia Dortmund could be waiting. | Jürgen Fromme/firo sportphoto/Getty Images
As Arsenal have finished first, they’ll eventually face in the round of 16 one of the teams that finished 15th, 16th, 17th or 18th in the league phase table.
In UEFA’s pre-determined bracket, 15th and 16th (seeded) will take on either 17th or 18th (unseeded) in the knockout playoff round.
**Bayer Leverkusen** and **Olympiacos** both jumped into position with victories over Villarreal and Ajax respectively. **Atalanta** began the day higher up but sank into Arsenal’s range due to a defeat tanking their chance of a top-eight finish, with **Borussia Dortmund** the fourth option.
* **Atalanta (15th)**
* **Bayer Leverkusen (16th)**
* **Borussia Dortmund (17th)**
* **Olympiacos (18th)**
When Is the Champions League Round of 16?
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There will be no Champions League football for Arteta’s Arsenal in February, allowing the Spaniard to focus all his energy on domestic matters during that time.
The first legs of the round of 16 have been scheduled for March 10/11, while the second legs will be played the following week, on March 17/18.
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