UEFA Champions League draw explained: Who will Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen face?
Although Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen are through to the knockout phase, Borussia Dortmund's exit means an all-German UEFA Champions League round of 16 clash is no longer guaranteed.
When and where will the Champions League round of 16 draw take place?
The draw is slated to take place this Friday (February 27) at 12pm CET. It will dictate which teams play each other in the round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals.
How does the draw work?
The round of 16 includes the eight teams who qualified automatically from the league phase, alongside the eight who qualified via this week's play-offs. The automatic qualifiers are seeded for the next round and have the luxury of playing the second legs at home.
Each of those teams (who finished 1st-8th in the league phase) will have two possible opponents on Friday. Much like the play-off round, matches between teams from the same nation are possible - as we'll explore later.
The top four teams from the league phase will also have home advantage in the second leg of a future quarter-final, and the top two will additionally have home advantage in a semi-final.
Which teams are participating in the draw?
- Arsenal
- Atalanta
- Atlético Madrid
- Barcelona
- Bayer Leverkusen
- Bayern Munich
- Bodö/Glimt
- Chelsea
- Galatasaray
- Liverpool
- Manchester City
- Newcastle United
- Paris Saint-Germain
- Real Madrid
- Sporting Lisbon
- Tottenham Hotspur
As far as the German teams go, Bayern had the simplest path to the last 16, having qualified second in the league phase. By contrast, Leverkusen had to go through the play-offs, defeating Olympiacos.
Watch: Bayern take on Dortmund in Der Klassiker on Saturday
Who could Bayern and Leverkusen face in the round of 16?
As runners-up in the league phase, Bayern will be paired with league winners Arsenal.
According to the tournament bracket, this pair will face either Atalanta or Leverkusen in the round of 16 but after Dortmund's exit at the hands of Italian outfit Atalanta, an all-German clash is no longer guaranteed.
Bayern's potential opponents: Atalanta or Leverkusen.
Leverkusen's potential opponents: Bayern or Arsenal
Who could they face in the quarter-finals?
Curiously, both Bundesliga sides have a similar path ahead of them later in the knockout phase if they make it through the round of 16 unscathed.
Bayern's potential opponents in the quarter-finals: Sporting Lisbon, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bodø/Glimt
Leverkusen's potential opponents in the quarter-finals: Sporting Lisbon, Manchester City, Bodø/Glimt
Key Champions League dates
Round of 16: March 10/11 & 17/18, 2026
Quarter-finals: April 7/8 & 14/15, 2026
Semi-finals: April 28/29 & May 5/6, 2026
Final: May 30, 2026 (Budapest)
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