English dominance in the Champions League
Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City and Newcastle will be in the draw for the Champions League round of 16.
For the first time in the history of the Champions League, six teams from the same league will be in the round of 16. This has been achieved by the Premier League, which is now the most powerful league competition on the planet. Five of its representatives, Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City, qualified directly.
Thus, the power of the Premier League was already evident in the Champions League group stage. It is no coincidence that five of the eight best teams are from the Premier League. An absolute majority. Only Barcelona, the surprising Sporting Portugal and Bayern Munich managed to secure a place alongside the English teams.
Top 8 of the Champions League group stage
- Arsenal
- Bayern Munich
- Liverpool
- Tottenham
- Barcelona
- Chelsea
- Sporting Portugal
- Manchester City
Newcastle gets the job done
The sixth English team, Newcastle, sealed the deal in Azerbaijan against Qarabag with a convincing 6-1 victory. In the return leg, on English soil, they won again, this time 3-2, to secure their place in the Champions League round of 16. More than a third of the teams in Friday's draw, 6 out of 16, are from the Premier League.
Friday's draw in Nyon could produce a London derby, as Chelsea and Tottenham could face each other. This would guarantee an English team in the quarter-finals. If they do not meet, all six could advance and produce a historic event: six of the eight quarter-finalists would be English.
The eight teams that have made it through the play-offs
- Atlético Madrid
- Bayer Leverkusen
- Newcastle
- Bodo Glimnt
- Atalanta
- Real Madrid
- PSG
- Galatasaray
