Who will Liverpool face in Champions League last-16 knockout stage? | OneFootball

The Reds could face a very tricky tie despite finish top of the League Phase

Liverpool will learn this week who their opponents are in the Champions League last-16 stage.

Liverpool sailed through the first half of the campaign to finish top of the standings, despite losing their final game to PSV Eindhoven.

In the new league phase format, the top eight teams progressed straight through to the last 16 and avoided an extra two-legged knockout play-off tie.

That saw the teams from ninth to 24th thrown into a play-off stage to confirm the eight unseeded teams in the last-16 stage.

Who will Liverpool face in Champions League last 16?

Liverpool finished top of the pile, meaning they will face either the winners of the knockout phase play-off between the 15th and 16th seeds, or the 17th and 18th seeds.

You would assume that would set up a relatively easy passage to the quarter-finals, but their four possible opponents heading into the play-offs were: Paris Saint-Germain, Brest, Monaco or Benfica.

With the second legs being played across Tuesday and Wednesday of this week - February 18 and 19 - Arsenal’s potential opponents will be whittled down to two.

PSG hold a commanding 3-0 lead over Brest from the first leg, while Benfica beat Monaco 1-0 in their first-leg clash.

Liverpool will see their opponent confirmed during the last-16 draw on Friday, February 21.

The first leg of those ties will be played on either March 4 or March 5, with the return fixtures a week later.