Liverpool will face either Atletico Madrid or Galatasaray in last 16 of Champions League
The Reds met both sides during the opening league stage
Liverpool will face either Atletico Madrid or Galatasaray in the Champions League round of 16 next month.
The Reds met both sides during the opening league stage, beating Atletico 3–2 at Anfield on matchday one before losing 1–0 to Galatasaray in Istanbul a fortnight later.
Galatasaray booked their place in the last 16 after surviving a major scare against Juventus in Wednesday evening’s play-off second leg.
Having won 5–2 at home in the first leg, the Turkish side were beaten 3–2 after extra time but progressed 7–5 on aggregate.
Juventus led 3–0 at the end of normal time despite being reduced to 10 men early in the second half.
Former Liverpool target Lloyd Kelly was controversially dismissed just three minutes after the restart, with the Italian side a goal ahead at the time.
Atletico secured their progression on Tuesday night. After drawing 3–3 away at Club Brugge in the first leg, the Spanish side cruised to a 4–1 victory in Madrid to advance comfortably.
The draw for the last 16 will take place in Nyon at 11am on Friday and will also determine Liverpool’s potential route to the final in Budapest on May 30.
Should they reach the quarter-finals, Arne Slot’s side could face one of Chelsea, Barcelona, Newcastle United or Paris Saint-Germain.
The holders progressed after drawing at home to Monaco in Wednesday night’s play-off second leg, securing their place on aggregate.
Although the exact dates for Liverpool’s round-of-16 tie have yet to be confirmed, the first leg is expected to be played on Tuesday, March 10, with the return leg at Anfield scheduled for Wednesday, March 18.
Real Madrid and Atalanta, who recovered from a 2–0 first-leg deficit to beat Borussia Dortmund 4–1 at home, also advanced through the play-offs.
They join Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Tottenham Hotspur, Sporting Lisbon, Manchester City, Bodo/Glimt and Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16.
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