Liverpool is now aware of the potential opponents they may have in the last-16 of the Champions League when the draw is made next week.
Following the final round of Champions League games, Liverpool might be counting their blessings following a dramatic comeback in Group H including Benfica and Paris Saint-Germain. Liverpool’s options for opponents in the following round are constrained because Chelsea, Tottenham, and Manchester City won their respective groups.
Teams from the same domestic league are prohibited from playing one another in the first round of the Champions League, according to UEFA regulations. With Liverpool failed to draw Napoli as well, Jurgen Klopp’s team is left with only four prospective opponents.
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Two of those spots were filled by Porto and Bayern Munich as a result of Tuesday night’s results, but further spots needed to be decided on Wednesday. The replay of last year’s Champions League final would likely be the matchup that draws the most attention, especially after Real Madrid defeated Celtic at home earlier in the day to win their group.
Group H was the only other group to decide the winner, with Benfica and PSG both having equal points going into their respective matches against Maccabi Haifa and Juventus. Given that PSG’s Ligue 1 team had a better goal difference than Juventus, Benfica had a difficult task in making it happen.
In order to defeat Maccabi Haifa, the Portuguese team needed to win by a score of five goals or more, although it appeared unlikely as the second half began. However, Benfica quickly began scoring frequently, and Henrique Aruajo brought them within one goal of first place.
Benfica then increased their lead to 6-1 in stoppage time thanks to a fizzing drive from outside the area from Joao Mario, moving them ahead of PSG. This means that Benfica, not PSG, will be in Liverpool’s pot in the Champions League last-16 draw that will take place the following week.
Along with Benfica, Liverpool may face Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and Porto in the round of 16. Liverpool defeated Benfica 3-1 in the opening leg of their Champions League quarterfinal matchup from the previous season.
The game concluded 3-3 after a valiant effort by the Portuguese team at Anfield to reverse the deficit. With Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, and Lionel Messi all playing at their best, PSG is considered one of the heavy favorites to win the Champions League this season.
And having competed against PSG in the group stage in 2018, Liverpool is all too aware of their potential. They triumphed in a thrilling match at Anfield 3-2 before falling short 2-1 in the rematch, however Liverpool did go on to win the Champions League that year.
Liverpool’s dream Champions League draw will be Porto since the Reds have a remarkable history versus the Portuguese team. Liverpool will, however, be far more pleased to see Benfica move into their division as opposed to PSG.