Liverpool Champions League Draw: The Reds face either Atlético Madrid or Galatasaray in the 2025/26 Round of 16.
The path toward European glory has sharpened into a piercing focus. Following the conclusion of the 2025/26 knockout play-off round on Wednesday evening, the field has been razed, leaving just two potential obstacles standing between Liverpool and a place in the Champions League quarter-finals: Atlético Madrid or Galatasaray.
Friday’s draw in Nyon, commencing at 11am (UK) on Friday, is more than a mere administrative exercise it is the moment Arne Slot’s European campaign at Anfield acquires its roadmap to the May final in Budapest.
The permutations are dwindling. The stakes, as they always do when March loom are rising.
There is no shortage of scar tissue where these two potential adversaries are concerned.
Diego Simeone’s Atlético remains the ultimate European irritant. While the Merseysiders dispatched them home and away during the 2021/22 group stages, those victories didn’t quite flush out the bitter taste of 2020. The memory of that Round of 16 exit a night of frantic drama at Anfield just before the world stopped for COVID-19 remains a cautionary tale of what happens when you fail to kill off a Simeone side.
Galatasaray, conversely, represent the “wildcard” of the continent volatile, hostile, and technically gifted. The Turkish champions arrived at this stage by surviving a 12-goal thriller against Juventus, edging a 7-5 aggregate win.
They are a side that can concede three in a heartbeat but possess the offensive weaponry to score four. Istanbul remains one of the few truly intimidating cauldrons left in European football, a fact the Reds learned the hard way with a 1-0 defeat they fell behind in the 16 minute when Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen converted penalty. The spot kick was awarded after Dominik Szoboszlai caught Baris Alper Yilmaz with stray arm inside the box during this season’s league phase.
A test of Slot’s controlled symphony
Liverpool enter this knockout stage in a curious state of flux. While the title defence has stuttered domestically trailing Arsenal by a significant margin the Champions League has remained a sanctuary for Arne Slot’s tactical evolution.
The “heavy metal” of the previous era has been replaced by what many are calling a “controlled symphony.” Slot’s Liverpool is less about the chaotic, breathless press and more about the surgical suffocation of the opponent.
However, that control will be tested by a mounting injury crisis that has seen the Reds cycle through six different right-backs this season. With Conor Bradley out for the long haul and Jeremie Frimpong nursing a hamstring issue but could potentially return for these fixtures, the sight of Dominik Szoboszlai a makeshift as a wing-back has become a symbol of the squad’s current resilience.
The return of Alexander Isak to training offers a glimmer of hope, but the burden of creativity still rests heavily on Florian Wirtz and Mohamed Salah. Slot’s challenge is to balance this technical brilliance with the defensive discipline required to survive a trip to the Metropolitano or the RAMS Park.
The Anfield advantage
Finishing third in the league phase was no small feat. It afforded the Reds the luxury of bypassing the play-off round, providing a fortnight of vital recuperation after a relentless winter schedule.
Crucially, it also secured seeding protection. Liverpool will host the second leg of their last-16 tie at Anfield a factor that has historically turned “impossible” tasks into foregone conclusions. The first leg is penciled in for March 10 or 11, with the return fixture on Merseyside on March 17 or 18.
| Key Milestone | Potential Dates | Venue |
| First Leg | March 10/11, 2026 | Away (Madrid or Istanbul) |
| Second Leg | March 17/18, 2026 | Anfield |
Because Liverpool finished 3rd in the league phase, they are placed in a specific section of the bracket. If they defeat either Atlético Madrid or Galatasaray in the Round of 16, their potential quarter-final opponents are already narrowed down to the winners of two specific ties.
- Last 16 (March): Face Atlético or Galatasaray. Because Liverpool are seeded, the crucial second leg will be at Anfield.
- Quarter-Finals (April): The bracket aligns Liverpool against the winner of the Chelsea/Barcelona vs. Newcastle/PSG side of the draw. This sets up a potential “all-English” clash or a historic rematch with Barcelona.
- Semi-Finals (May): If Liverpool reach the final four, they are currently projected to land on the side of the bracket containing Bayern Munich, Sporting CP, or potentially Bayer Leverkusen.
- The Final (May 30): Held in Budapest. According to current seeding and form, Arsenal or Manchester City are the favorites on the opposite side of the bracket.
| Stage | Potential Opponents | Context |
| Round of 16 | Atlético Madrid or Galatasaray | The confirmed “Last-16” hurdle. |
| Quarter-Final | Chelsea or Barcelona | The most likely “heavyweight” path based on bracket positioning (Seed 3/4 vs Seed 5/6). |
| Quarter-Final | Newcastle United or Paris Saint-Germain | The alternative path if the unseeded teams pull off an upset in the Round of 16. |
Liverpool are ready to resume their hunt for a seventh crown.
