Alisson was player of the match in Liverpool’s 1-0 win over PSG [Getty Images]
All three English teams are on track to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League after Liverpool, Arsenal and Aston Villa all recorded victories away from home in their last-16 first-leg matches.
Premier League leaders Liverpool snatched a late winner to beat Paris St-Germain 1-0 in Paris on Wednesday, despite a dominant performance from the hosts.
It was the first time Liverpool have faced PSG since 2018-19, when the Reds went on to be crowned champions of Europe for the sixth time.
The winners of that tie will face Aston Villa or Club Brugge in the quarter-finals, with Unai Emery’s side 3-1 up after the first leg in Belgium.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are all-but certain to reach the last eight having thrashed PSV 7-1 away on Tuesday. The Gunners will meet record 15-time winners Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid in the quarters.
“It’s a massive result away from home in a competition that we love, that we miss for so many years,” Gunners manager Mikel Arteta told Prime Video.
“This was a really special night for us.”
Holders Real – who eliminated Manchester City in the knockout-phase play-offs – edged out local rivals Atletico 2-1, while Lille hit back to claim a 1-1 draw at Borussia Dortmund.
Ten-man Barcelona secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Benfica in Lisbon while 2023 finalists Inter Milan beat Feyenoord 2-0 and Bayern Munich comfortably overcame Bundesliga rivals Bayer Leverkusen 3-0.
The last-16 second-leg ties take place on 11 and 12 March.
Highlights of every Champions League game are available on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.
Last-16 draw in full
Club Brugge v Aston Villa (1-3 on agg) – Second leg: 12 March (20:00)
Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid (2-1 on agg) – Second leg: 12 March (20:00)
Borussia Dortmund v Lille (1-1 on agg) – Second leg: 12 March (17:45)
PSV Eindhoven v Arsenal (1-7 on agg) – Second leg: 12 March (20:00)
Feyenoord v Inter Milan (0-2 on agg) – Second leg: 11 March (20:00)
Paris St-Germain v Liverpool (0-1 on agg) – Second leg: 11 March (20:00)
Bayern Munich v Bayer Leverkusen (3-0 on agg) – Second leg: 11 March (20:00)
Benfica v Barcelona (0-1 on agg) – Second leg: 11 March (17:45)
Liverpool and Villa on collision course
Premier League leaders Liverpool took a slim one-goal advantage away from their last-16 first leg against French champions PSG and the second instalment promises to be equally intriguing.
PSG had looked to be heading out of the competition in the league phase before a late run of form saw them finish 15th.
They lost to Arsenal before defeating Manchester City to set up an all-France knockout phase play-off with Brest which they won 10-0 on aggregate.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot admitted his side were “lucky” to have secured a first-leg advantage, having been second-best throughout. PSG had 27 shots against the Reds but could not beat the visitors’ inspired goalkeeper Alisson.
“If we had had a draw over here we would already be the lucky one. They were the much better team,” Slot said.
If Liverpool overcome PSG, then they look likely to face Villa in the quarter-finals in April, with the 1982 European Cup winners in the driving seat against Club Brugge.
“We are not in the quarter-final,” said Villa boss Emery.
“There’s still 90 minutes to play. We’re ready in case we need extra time and penalties because I know how difficult it is in each match and how we can change one match in 90 minutes.
“They won against Atalanta 3-1 and they compete very well. There are still 90 minutes to play.”
How do countries earn an extra Champions League spot for next season?
Each country’s league earns a coefficient ranking based on how their teams perform in Uefa’s three men’s club competitions: the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.
Coefficient points are earned through match results – two for a win and one for a draw.
The points earned by clubs from the same domestic league are added up and divided by the number of clubs the league has in Europe.
For example, if the Premier League had 100 points, that would be split by the number of teams playing in Europe (seven), giving England a coefficient of 14.28.
This season, bonus points are available to clubs playing in the Champions League, which is advantageous to leagues with more clubs competing in it, such as Germany and Italy.
Countries that finish in the coefficient table’s top two earn an additional Champions League spot for the following season.
Those spots are awarded to the teams who finish in the first position below the standard Champions League allocation in those leagues.
In the Premier League, the top four clubs automatically qualify for the Champions League via league position, so any additional place would go to the team in fifth.
Additional spots for the 2024-25 Champions League were given to Bologna and Borussia Dortmund, who finished fifth in Serie A and the Bundesliga respectively.
Who is leading the coefficient table? Could England get a fifth Champions League spot?
Manchester City’s defeat by Real Madrid is the only blot on the landscape for England, with Spain in third place for now.
However, Italy, who are second, endured a dismal time in February with AC Milan, Atalanta and Juventus all losing in the Champions League knockout play-off round – limiting Serie A’s opportunity to gather more points.
Germany’s prospects appear difficult with Bayern Munich and Dortmund in the same half of the Champions League draw.
Likewise France. Paris St-Germain and Lille are the representatives remaining in the Champions League, with Monaco and Brest exiting at the play-off stage. Lyon, in the Europa League, are the only other French side left in European competition.
Portugal has two of its five teams remaining but lost Sporting and Porto in the Champions League and Europa League play-offs.
What about the Europa League winners?
England could end up with seven Champions League teams next season.
The winners of the Europa League, as well as the Champions League, are granted a spot.
Under previous rules, any single league could only have a maximum of five clubs in the Champions League. However, that rule has been scrapped.
This season, any team who win the Europa League or Champions League but do not qualify for the Champions League via their domestic league position will go into the Champions League.
This raises the possibility of Manchester United or Tottenham, both through to the knockout stage of the Europa League but languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League, qualifying for the Champions League alongside the top four or five.
Watch highlights of every Champions League game from 22:00 on Wednesday on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.
There will also be a Champions League Match of the Day on BBC One on Wednesday, from 22:40 to 00:00.
