Champions League draw live: Arsenal, Liverpool and more to learn last-16 opponents

"Following an up-and-down league phase, Liverpool booked a direct route into the last 16 of the Champions League and now wait to see who their opponents will be. Arne Slot's side ultimately won six and lost two of their eight games to claim third spot in the table, although endured a couple of rough spots during that spell most notably when suffering a humiliating 4-1 home defeat to PSV in November."

"The Reds also played both Atletico Madrid and Galatasaray in the league phase and will now face one of those teams in the last-16. They beat Atletico 3-2 thanks to Virgil van Dijk's last-minute header, but lost 1-0 to Galatasaray in Turkey - the second loss of a four-game losing slump in September and October."

"In a season where a proper Premier League title challenge has failed to materialise, Europe offers an opportunity to still pick up some silverware."

Liverpool completed the Champions League league phase with a 6-2 record, finishing third and securing direct qualification to the last 16. Despite a humiliating 4-1 home defeat to PSV in November and inconsistent form, the team recovered to claim a top-three finish. They previously faced both potential knockout opponents during the league phase, defeating Atletico Madrid 3-2 with a last-minute Virgil van Dijk header but losing 1-0 to Galatasaray in Turkey. With Premier League title ambitions fading, European competition offers Liverpool an opportunity to pursue silverware this season.

Read at www.independent.co.uk