Liverpool automatically qualified for the round of 16 in the Champions League thanks to their third-place finish in the league phase, and will take on either Atletico Madrid or Galatasaray
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Liverpool are through to the knockout stages of the Champions League(Image: Justin Setterfield, Getty Images)
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Liverpool will meet either Atletico Madrid or Galatasaray in the round of 16 of the Champions League, and will discover their opponents at 11am on Friday, February 27. The Reds are among five Premier League clubs who automatically progressed to the next stage of the tournament.
Arsenal finished top of the table in the league phase of Europe's elite football competition, while Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur secured third and fourth respectively. Chelsea claimed sixth, while Manchester City qualified in eighth.
While Newcastle United finished 12th in the league standings, they will also accompany their Premier League counterparts in the round of 16 following a 9-3 aggregate victory over Qarabag across two legs. While each club is currently awaiting confirmation of their next opponents, the ECHO has simulated how the last 16 of the Champions League could appear tomorrow morning....
In our simulated draw, Liverpool will face Atletico Madrid in the next round of the Champions League. The two teams have already met in the competition this season, with the Reds running out 3-2 winners at Anfield in September.
However, the last time that they met in the knockouts, Atleti enjoyed a 4-2 win on aggregate to oust the Premier League titans. That's not to say that Galatasaray would be an easier match, if recency bias is anything to go off.
Liverpool travelled to Rams Park in September to take on the Turkish giants, where they lost 1-0 thanks to Victor Osimhen's decisive strike. Elsewhere, the draw sees Chelsea face PSG in the next round, whilst Arsenal are pitted against Atalanta.
Newcastle United face a daunting tie against high-flying Barcelona if our simulation proves accurate, while Manchester City go against Real Madrid. Spurs are also set to face Galatasaray if the projection holds true.
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The ECHO's simulated round of 16 in full
PSG vs Chelsea
Galatasaray vs Tottenham
Real Madrid vs Manchester City
Atalanta vs Arsenal
Newcastle vs Barcelona
Atletico Madrid vs Liverpool
Bodo/Glimt vs Sporting CP
Bayer Leverkusen vs Bayern Munich
Simulated quarter-finals
QF 1: PSG or Chelsea vs Galatasaray or Tottenham
QF 2: Real Madrid or Man City vs Atalanta or Arsenal
QF 3: Newcastle or Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid or Liverpool
QF 4: Bodo/Glimt or Sporting vs Bayer Leverkusen or Bayern Munich
Semi-finals
Winner of QF 1 vs winner of QF 2
Winner of QF 3 vs winner of QF 4
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