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Mikel Arteta’s side wrapped up their league phase campaign with a 2-1 win away at La Liga side Girona to finish third in the overall UCL rankings.
By finishing in the top eight of the UCL table, Arsenal have secured an automatic place in the Round of 16, knockouts and will avoid the playoffs which a host of major European sides have dropped into.
They will also have an extra week to focus on their Premier League title battle with Liverpool.
In the Round of 16, teams are paired with the side next to them in the table for the draw (for Arsenal that is 4th placed Inter Milan), and as it stands they will face one of Feyenoord, Juventus, AC Milan or PSV Eindhoven.
From the Round of 16 onwards, the draw is pre-determined all the way to the final, allowing teams to map out who they will face with greater clarity.
Ahead of the draw, Arsenal’s potential quarterfinal opponents come from a list of six including defending champions Real Madrid, EPL holders Manchester City plus Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid or Celtic.
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At the semifinal and final stage, Arsenal could take on any of the 12 teams from the ‘other side’ of the draw, which currently includes Liverpool, Barcelona and PSG.
There is also the possibility of coming up against AS Monaco, Brest, Benfica, Sporting CP, Atalanta, Lille, Borussia Dortmund and Aston Villa.
The draw to decide the Round of 16 ties, plus the bracket for the quarterfinals and semifinals, is held on February 21.
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The 2025 UEFA Champions League final will be at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany. The stadium is the home of Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich and was the stage for the 2012 final, when Chelsea defeated Bayern on penalties.
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