Manchester City emerged as the notable climbers of the evening, rising from 11th place at the beginning to eighth after a 2-0 victory over Galatasaray. However, their progress was reliant on other outcomes, particularly an astonishing victory for Benfica against the record European champions, Real Madrid.

Yet, the most pivotal outcome of the night regarding the top-eight standings was Newcastle's draw against Paris Saint-Germain. The Magpies faced a challenging endeavor against PSG, and even though they managed to hold the reigning European champions to a 1-1 stalemate, Eddie Howe's team finished the night as the sole English club outside the top eight.

This means they will have to play an additional two matches in the play-off round, increasing the strain on Newcastle's already weary squad. After the league phase concluded, Express Sport provided insight into the potential opponents for the English teams competing in the knockout stages.

Newcastle

Howe and his squad will find out their fate during the draw for the play-off round on Friday (January 30). They will be matched against either Qarabag or Monaco, and if they advance as winners from that matchup, they will face either Chelsea or Barcelona in the round of 16.

Manchester City

Just managing to secure a spot in the top-eight, Pep Guardiola will be satisfied that his team has an additional two matchdays to rest next month. However, they won't have much time for relaxation when they resume Champions League play in March, as City’s last-16 foes will be one of Bodo/Glimt, Benfica, Inter Milan, or even Real Madrid!

Chelsea

Liam Rosenior’s squad achieved a determined victory away to Napoli to ensure their place among the top eight, scoring late after falling behind at halftime. Their next challenge will be a round-of-16 matchup against either Monaco, Newcastle, PSG, or Qarabag.

?????? Champions League - Knockouts Bracket!

✅ Top 8: Into Round of 16

?????? 9th-24th: Knockout PO

??????️ Knockout Play-offs Draw on Friday! pic.twitter.com/QeqWqMQYms

Tottenham

Tottenham’s performance in the Champions League has sharply contrasted with their domestic league results, as Spurs concluded the league stage in fourth place. Consequently, they too have secured an additional two matchdays off but are likely facing a challenging last-16 tie. Their potential opponents consist of Atletico Madrid, Club Brugge, Galatasaray, and Juventus.

Liverpool

Another squad that has fared better in the Champions League than in the Premier League this season, Liverpool eased into the last eight with a resounding victory over Qarabag. Paired with Spurs in the bracket, they will also contend with one of Atletico Madrid, Club Brugge, Galatasaray, or Juventus.

Arsenal

Lastly, the only English team that completed their tasks early was Arsenal, which allowed them to relax during the final round of action. They enter the knockout stage as the highest-ranked club and will thus face either Atalanta, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, or Olympiakos in the last-16. The good news for Arsenal is that they are assured of playing all second legs of knockout matches at home for as long as they remain in the tournament.