Liverpool have learned the four teams they can potentially face in the Champions League round of 16 – including a nightmare opponent.
The Reds had already booked their place in the last 16 and have secured automatic qualification through the league phase with seven wins from seven games heading into matchday 8.
Arne Slot’s side avoided the chaos of the final matchday, which saw most of the teams in the tournament playing for either an automatic round of 16 place or a play-off spot in the knockouts.
Liverpool’s heavily rotated side, which saw Slot leave the likes of Mohamed Salah, Virgil Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold at home, were defeated by PSV in Eindhoven but following Barcelona’s draw against Atalanta, the Reds finished top of the league phase.
Following the results elsewhere, Liverpool will find out what one of two teams they will face in the round of 16 on either the 4th or 5th March. The knockout phase play-off draw will take place on January 31.
The draw will decide whether 17th placed Monaco or 18th placed Brest will face 16th placed Benfica or 15th placed PSG – former Champions League finalists and a daunting prospect even though they have failed to impress in Europe so far this campaign. From there, the winner of that tie will play Liverpool in the round of 16.
Elsewhere, Manchester City, who scraped through against Club Brugge, will play either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid in the playoff round. While Arsenal and Aston Villa also secured a top eight finish to avoid the play-off.
The Gunners will face either Feyenoord, Juventus, AC Milan or PSV. Meanwhile, Villa will take on one of Sporting Lisbon, Club Brugge, Atalanta or Borussia Dortmund.
Slot’s young side were beaten 3-2 as PSV twice came from behind to win, while Amara Nallo was sent off just four minutes into his Reds debut. The result proved to be academic after Barcelona were held 2-2 by Atalanta, seeing them fall short of topping the league phase.