Newcastle United will embark on a 5,000-mile round trip on Wednesday to face Qarabag in the first round of the Champions League knockout stages.
This is the first time Newcastle have reached the knockout stages in Europe, with a grueling schedule of 14 games in 45 days, including an epic trip to Azerbaijan for the first leg before a come-from-behind at St James’s Park on February 24.
Qarabag lost 6-0 to Liverpool in the final round of the league, but succeeded in drawing 2-2 at home with Chelsea in the fourth round.
Eddie Howe’s side will face either Chelsea or Barcelona if they reach the last 16.
Elsewhere on Wednesday, Serie A leaders Inter Milan travel to face Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt, who beat Manchester City in the penultimate game of the league.
Atlético Madrid will also visit Club Brugge, while Olympiakos will host Bayer Leverkusen.
The draw for the Round of 16 will be held on February 27th.
Tuesday 17th February – First Leg
Galatasaray 5-2 Juventus
Benfica 0-1 Real Madrid
Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Atalanta
Monaco 2-3 Paris Saint-Germain
Wednesday 18th February – First Leg
Qarabag vs Newcastle, 5.45pm
Bodo/Glimt vs Inter Milan, 8pm
Club Brugge vs. Atletico Madrid, 8 p.m.
Olympiakos vs Bayer Leverkusen, 8pm
Tuesday 24th February – 2nd leg
Atletico Madrid vs. Club Brugge, 5:45 p.m.
Bayer Leverkusen vs. Olympiakos, 8 p.m.
Inter Milan vs Bodo/Glimt, 8pm
Newcastle vs Qarabag, 8pm
Wednesday 25th February – 2nd leg
Atalanta vs. Borussia Dortmund, 5:45 p.m.
Juventus vs. Galatasaray, 8 p.m.
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Monaco, 8 p.m.
Real Madrid vs. Benfica, 8 p.m.
Who might the England team face in the round of 16?
Arsenal: Borussia Dortmund, Atalanta, Olympiakos, Leverkusen
Manchester City: Benfica, Real Madrid, Bodo/Glimt or Inter
Chelsea: Qarabag, Newcastle, Monaco, PSG
Liverpool: Galatasaray, Juventus, Club Brugge or Atletico Madrid
Tottenham: Galatasaray, Juventus, Club Brugge or Atletico Madrid
Newcastle: Barcelona or Chelsea
England confirmed to be in top 5 of Champions League
One of the benefits of England’s teams doing so well in Europe is that they are almost certain to repeat last season’s feat, when the Premier League finished in the top two on UEFA’s table and qualified for fifth place in the Champions League.
With five Premier League teams heading straight into the Champions League last 16 and all nine European Premier League teams still in their respective competitions, England sit comfortably at the top of the table ahead of Germany.
Newcastle benefited from that last season, finishing fifth in the Premier League and qualifying for this season’s Champions League. The door is now open for opponents to take advantage as the England team continues their strong performance on the continent.
When is the Champions League knockout stage in 2025/26?
Knockout Playoffs: February 17-18 and 24-25, 2026
Round 16: March 10-11 and 17-18, 2026
Quarterfinals: April 7-8 and 14-15, 2026
Semi-finals: April 28-29 and May 5-6, 2026
Finals: Saturday, May 30, 2026
Where will the Champions League final be held in 2026?
The 2025/26 Champions League final will be held on Saturday 30th May at the Puskas Arena in Budapest.
