Liverpool handed Champions League nightmare path

Liverpool now know our Champions League route to the final is taking shape after UEFA’s last-16 draw paired us with Galatasaray and confirmed the quarter-final opponents waiting for the winner.

Liverpoolfc.com confirmed the details after the draw in Nyon, with Arne Slot’s side travelling to Istanbul for the first leg on March 10/11 before welcoming the Turkish champions to Anfield for the return on March 17/18.

“Liverpool will face Galatasaray in the last 16 of the Champions League.”

The same club update also spelled out why this tie immediately feels like the start of a demanding run, because the bracket has already locked in the next hurdle.

“The winners of the tie will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Chelsea in the quarter-finals.”

Liverpool’s Champions League route is now clear

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There is no soft landing in the knockout stages, and the silver side of the draw has mapped our potential run to the final.

If we eliminate Galatasaray, we would then need to overcome either PSG or Chelsea across two legs just to reach the semi-finals.

Earlier this week, Liverpool’s Champions League picture was already described as a potential nightmare route to Budapest, with the silver side of the bracket containing PSG, Barcelona, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Arsenal.

From there, the bracket shows a possible last-four meeting with one of Real Madrid, Manchester City, Atalanta or Bayern Munich, depending on how the other ties unfold.

That sequence explains why this draw can be framed as a tough route, even before we get into the practical reality of winning in Istanbul and then finishing the job at Anfield.

Liverpool can also take encouragement from the fact that Galatasaray are a known quantity this season, because we have already faced them in the league phase.

The problem is that the last visit was not a happy one.

What happened the last time we played Galatasaray

Opta data from the previous meeting in Istanbul showed we had 16 shots but only four on target, as Galatasaray secured a 1-0 win.

Victor Osimhen’s first-half penalty settled it, and it was a night where Liverpool struggled to turn pressure into goals despite generating volume.

That context matters because knockout ties often hinge on small moments, and Istanbul is precisely the sort of first-leg environment where control and emotional discipline become as important as talent.

Victor Osimhen has already admitted he would “like to escape Liverpool” in this round, warning that facing us now would feel like revenge but insisting Galatasaray have the fight to handle Anfield if required.

It also connects neatly to the wider conversation around this season, where Liverpool have not consistently hit the performance levels we set during the title-winning campaign, even if results have improved in recent weeks.

Here is the draw path as it stands, using the confirmed bracket.

There is an argument that Arsenal have emerged with the cleaner-looking side of the bracket on paper, but the Champions League rarely follows neat logic.

If we want to win this competition, we will have to beat elite sides at some point, and this draw simply tells us we may have to do it repeatedly, and sooner than most.

Liverpool’s focus now shifts back to West Ham United at Anfield on Saturday, but the European picture is sharp enough already to underline what is at stake over the next few months.

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