The draw for the last 16 of the Champions League will take place in Nyon on Friday morning, with all remaining clubs knowing which two opponents they could face.
Over the last two weeks, 16 clubs have battled it out in the newly-formed knockout playoffs, and some giants fell, including Italian sides Juventus and AC Milan, as well as one of the pre-tournament favourites Manchester City.
Bayern Munich avoided a scare to edge past Celtic, while Real Madrid proved they should still be heavily fancied by putting a beleaguered Man City to the sword over two impressive legs.
They are among the eight clubs who progressed from the playoffs, and they will be drawn against the top eight from the league phase, and here, Sports Mole looks at the most enticing potential ties that could await in the last 16.
Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid
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The one tie every neutral wants to see is undoubtedly a Madrid derby between Los Blancos and Los Colchoneros, in what would be a repeat of the 2014 and 2016 finals, both of which ended in favour of Real Madrid.
This is the one tie fans of Atletico would like to avoid, not only because of Real's European pedigree, but because they have so often got the better of them in this competition, beating them four seasons in a row between 2014 and 2017.
Along with the two final defeats, Atletico were eliminated by Real in the 2015 quarter-finals and 2017 semi-finals, but the tide may be turning, because Carlo Ancelotti's men have not beaten their city rivals in normal time in any of the last eight head-to-heads.
If the two are drawn together, the big question will be whether Real Madrid's newly-assembled star-studded frontline can replicate the success Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale had during that dominant four-year spell they enjoyed over Atletico.
Liverpool vs. Paris Saint-Germain
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Despite having very little history against one another, Liverpool drawing PSG would undoubtedly be one of the standout ties of the last 16, given the form both have shown this season.
Liverpool were imperious during the League Phase, winning their first seven before fielding a weaker XI on matchday eight, and even though PSG limped over the line late on to reach the playoffs, their form over the past three months has been extraordinary.
Luis Enrique's men are unbeaten in 19 games, winning 16 of those, and they beat fellow Ligue 1 side Brest 10-0 on aggregate in their playoff tie, while Liverpool have been far from convincing recently, dropping points in two of their last three league games.
Six-time winners Liverpool are renowned for their ability to perform on the biggest stage, while that has been the Achilles heel for PSG since the Qatari takeover, but a 4-2 win over Man City in a must-win fixture during the league phase suggests the club could be on the verge of a new dawn.
Real Madrid vs. Bayer Leverkusen
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If we are not treated to an all-Madrid affair in the last 16, the alternative is another very intriguing tie which could see the master face the apprentice, in a head-to-head between Ancelotti and Xabi Alonso.
Alonso has been linked with the Real Madrid job ever since his Leverkusen side swept aside everybody on their way to an unbeaten league and cup double in Germany last season, but this would be his biggest test to date, against the legendary figure he is being touted to replace next season.
This would be a repeat of the 2002 final, which saw Real Madrid end up victorious thanks to Zinedine Zidane's sensational volley at Hampden Park which has gone down in footballing folklore ever since.
The modern-day iteration has potential for fireworks too, given Leverkusen's very offensive style of play, but their only defeat in 19 games came in Madrid against Atletico during the League Phase, and after a 6-3 aggregate win over Man City in the playoff, Real are now among the red-hot favourites to win the trophy for a 16th time.
Barcelona vs. Paris Saint-Germain
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In what would be a repeat of the astonishing 'Remontada' from the 2016-17 season, when Barcelona came from 4-0 down to beat PSG 6-5 on aggregate, another meeting between these two clubs promises huge entertainment.
PSG got over the psychological torment of that collapse by knocking Barca out in the quarter-finals last season, winning 4-1 in Spain after losing the first leg to progress to the semi-finals, in a tie where Ousmane Dembele scored against his former club in both legs.
Dembele is the most in-form player in Europe at present, with 15 goals already in 2025, but the quality in Barcelona's attack means he is still not missed, with Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal part of arguably the most fearsome front three on the continent.
Enrique, the man who led Barca to that extraordinary comeback in 2017, is now in charge of PSG, and despite his history with the club, there is nothing he would love more than to end his current club's long wait for European success.
Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen
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If Leverkusen avoid being drawn against the reigning champions and 15-time winners, the alternative is hardly as promising, with Bayern Munich the other club they could face.
As the two dominant forces of German football at present, it looks a certainty that Bayern are going to wrestle the title back off Leverkusen, with Vincent Kompany's men currently eight points clear at the top, after hanging on for a 0-0 draw against Die Werkself last weekend.
However, Leverkusen will not be fearful here, having already won at the Allianz Arena in the DFB-Pokal, and taking a point in the Bundesliga, extending their unbeaten run over Bayern to six matches.
If Bayern are to win the title off Alonso's men, Leverkusen will be determined to get their own back, and knock the Bavarians out of the Champions League, denying them the opportunity to play the final in their home stadium in May.
Bayern Munich vs. Atletico Madrid
© Imago
In what would be a true clash of cultures, a meeting between Kompany's Bayern and Diego Simeone's Atletico could be the most fascinating to watch across the last 16.
Simeone's win-at-all-costs attitude has worked against the Bayern machine before, as a memorable semi-final clash in 2016 saw Atletico go to the Allianz and progress to the final, thanks to Antoine Griezmann's smash-and-grab away goal.
Bayern did beat Atletico in the final of this competition back in 1974, but should they meet again, the Spanish side will certainly fancy their chances, given their form this season, and the troubles the Germans suffered in beating Celtic in the playoffs.
Atletico have lost just one of their last 23 games, and Griezmann, along with Julian Alvarez, will be licking their lips at the prospect of facing a Bayern defence that can be got at, as Celtic proved this week.
Andrew Delaney
