European draws as they happened: Arsenal and Manchester City are drawn, plus Europa playoffs confirmed
The European draws have been made, with Arsenal and Manchester City learning their Champions League fate and Europa ties being drawn
Hello and welcome! It's European football draw day!
The seeded teams in the draw…
The unseeded teams…
As we're sure you all know by now, this is the part of the draw that is still country protected.
One seeded team draws an unseeded team at this point – so Arsenal couldn't face Manchester City anyway – meaning that there's only one fixture that physically that won't be drawn.
Bayern Munich will not face RB Leipzig. That's the only country-protected tie unable to happen. Easy enough to remember.
These games aren't for three months – but it's good to get them in early.
Here's the stage for the draw today!
So who are the favourites?
It's hardly surprising, really…
This is Barcelona's first time in the knockouts of the Champions League since the days of Lionel Messi
The Catalan outfit were eliminated twice in the past two years under Xavi in the group stage and though they comfortably qualified this time around, there were question marks over the two losses they suffered in the six games.
Could there be a shock exit early from the knockouts this time around?
Surely you don't need reminding where the final is this time around?
Oh you do? It's at the home of football, Wembley Stadium.
Manchester City are aiming for history this season – and to do something no English team has done in the modern age
The last English side to defend a Champions League/European Cup title was Nottingham Forest, all the way back in 1980. Since then, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Manchester United and Chelsea have all lifted Ol' Big Ears but failed to do so in consecutive years.
In fact, only Real Madrid has managed the feat since the competition's rebrand back in 1992/93.
The coverage is starting now – you can watch on TNT Sports' official YouTube channel
Pedro Pinto is here to present. Here we go!
The trophy is here
Those teams again… seeded:
The unseeded teams…
Giorgio Marchetti, UEFA general secretary is here.
Marchetti has praised the Champions League "model", perhaps in a jibe towards any looming Super League.
Now for John Terry to take to the stage to assist with the draw.
Terry picks out the Barcelona side of the mid-2000s as the best team he ever faced in the Champions League, with Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho as the two standout stars he played against.
"He's a great man-manager, great tactically and I think they'll go a long way."
John Terry backs Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid for glory.
We're ready to proceed with the draw. Let's go!
First out of the bowl…
Porto vs Arsenal
Now out… Napoli
Napoli vs Barcelona
Paris Saint-Germain out next
Paris Saint-Germain vs Real Sociedad
Inter Milan, out of the bowl next
Inter vs Atletico Madrid
PSV drawn next
PSV vs Dortmund
Lazio, next
Lazio vs Bayern Munich
Leipzig vs Real Madrid
Manchester City will play Copenhagen
The draw in full:
Some intriguing ties this time around – but both English sides left in the competition can be relatively happy.
City, meanwhile, have arguably the weakest side left in the competition, in Copenhagen. A simple draw? Well, the most straightforward… yet the Danish outfit shouldn't be underestimated, given that they've already beaten Manchester United this season.
Champions League winners left in the competition:
Any potentials for big shocks?
Well, yes. Porto have European heritage, while Arsenal have never won a European trophy. Napoli and Barcelona will be a tough tie, while Real Sociedad can't be written off either…
Players returning to former sides:
That's it as far as we can see…
And now, we turn attention to the Europa League…
The runners-up for today's Europa League draw:
Do you need an explainer on this one?
The winners of these playoffs will then make it through to the Round of 16, which will be drawn on February 23 2024.
Liverpool, Brighton, West Ham and Rangers fans: you don't need to fret – you're already through.
This is the final year that UEFA will operate with this tournament format
Liverpool are, naturally, the favourites for this one – but far from the only big side in the competition…
Meanwhile, there's European royalty in the form of Benfica, Feyenoord and Milan in the playoff round.
We're about to begin!
UEFA deputy general secretary Giorgio Marchetti has returned to the stage…
Doing the Europa League draw today… former Sevilla star Julien Escude
We're ready to go!
First out… Feyenoord
Feyenoord will play against Roma
Milan are next out of a bowl
Milan face Rennes
Lens are drawn next, having dropped out of the Champions League, too.
Lens will play Freiburg
Young Boys drawn next
It'll be Young Boys vs Sporting
Benfica, now
It's Benfica vs Toulouse
Braga out of the bowl
Braga will play Qarabag
Braga vs Qarabag is the longest round-trip for any club in Europe's knockout stages this season.
Galatasaray are next.
Galatasaray play Sparta Prague…
The draw for the playoffs of the Europa League in full:
Some intriguing matchups when it comes to the Europa League draw but none more so than Roma vs Feyenoord…
Memories immediately come flooding back of this incredible night in which the Italian giants won their first-ever European city in Albania. That'll be one fixture definitely worth a watch next year.
Betfair's odds for Europa League winner
Who's your money on?
Thomas Muller reacts to Bayern Munich drawing Lazio in the Champions League
It’s Lazio! @ChampionsLeague #UCLdraw #fcbayern #FCBLazio #esmuellert pic.twitter.com/loHp61MU0UDecember 18, 2023
The last time Arsenal faced Portuguese opponents in Europe, Kim Kardashian watched the Gunners lose on penalties to Sporting…
…while the last time they faced Porto, 'Lord' Nicklas Bendtner nabbed a hat-trick.
Now let's turn attention to the Europa Conference draw.
Some format as the Europa League, for this one.
Aston Villa fans, you need not worry about your place, as you're already in the round of 16. In fact, here are all the sides who are:
Betfair's odds for Europa Conference League winner
Unai Emery's side clear favourites for another European title
Here's the scene of the Europa Conference League final of 2024: the Agia Sophia in Athens
Good news on the AFCON front, at least – 2024's Africa Cup of Nations will not interrupt the Round of 16 for the Champions League or the knockouts proper for the Europa League and Europa Conference League
The AFCON final is February 11, with Europa playoff rounds and the Champions League knockouts commencing on the week of February 12.
You can watch all the action for the Europa Conference League draw on TNT Sports' official YouTube channel
Here's a trivia fact for you…
Surely there aren't many United fans, here? Well here's a quiz for you, anyway – can you name every side they faced in the Treble-winning season?
It's European football-related, of course.
We're about to begin! Here's Traianos Dellas to do the draw.
"Greeks are famous for hospitality, good weather… what else could you ask for?"
Once again, the runners-up from the Conference draw…
…will be drawn against Europa League dropouts…
…meaning that the following Conference League group winners will not be involved today…
First one out is… Sturm Graz
Sturm Graz will play Slovan Bratislava
Servette are out next. That's UEFA's local team in this draw, given that they're based in Nyom, Switzerland.
Servette vs Ludogorets
Brighton owner Tony Bloom's Union Saint-Gilloise are next to be drawn
USG vs Eintracht Frankfurt. Tasty.
Real Betis, next, hoping that they can harness the Seville luck in Europe.
Real Betis vs Dinamo Zagreb
Olympiacos, hoping for a local final in Athens, out next
Olympiacos will play Ferencvaros
Next, the giants of Ajax
Ajax vs Bodo/Glimt
Molde are drawn
Molde are set to face off against Legia Warsaw
Which leaves Maccabi Haifa playing Gent.
The round in full:
That concludes all three draws. Thanks for joining us today!
