Champions League draw LIVE: Arsenal get Bayern Munich – and a reunion with old foe Harry Kane – while Man City take on Real Madrid as last two winners meet, before possible all-English semi!

Mikel stole the show a bit. I can’t lie.

A really successful draw. UEFA must be buzzing.

Manchester City are set to be at home on the ninth or 10th of April against Madrid first up.

It’s being suggested that that could change, though. The reason is because the draw has pitted Atletico and Madrid to be at home in the same week, though it obviously won’t be the same day.

It feels unlikely, but it’s not impossible. We have, as the below states, seen it happen in the past.

Bayern Munich forward Thomas Muller has reacted to the draw on social media. A hard draw, he admits, but he is keen to remain positive.

He also calls out fellow countryman Kai Havertz. Funny.

The next stage of today’s fun is the Europa League draw. The likes of Liverpool, Bayer Leverkusen and West Ham will find out who they will get in the last eight.

My colleague Dom Hogan is covering that one live. Join him below if you want to, or feel free to stay with me for more reaction to the Champions League draw!

It’s not easy at the top.

Not only do City find themselves tackling Liverpool and Arsenal in the Premier League title race, they are up against Madrid, Bayern Munich ad the Gunners in the Champions League. And that’s just to reach the final.

The squad keep saying that they are taking it one game at a time. They may not have much choice.

There are other ties in the last eight draw, I promise, but there’s so much to talk about with Arsenal.

The Gunners will have a handy advantage in the home leg of the tie, which will be the first game played.

Bayern fans are banned from attending the away leg after supporters threw fireworks onto the pitch against Lazio.

Arsenal can fill the away end with their own fans.

Courtesy of 11v11, here is Arsenal’s form against Bayern since 2013.

Not great reading, but, as I say, the sides are in two different places now.

It truly is a chance for revenge.

It may well be. As I said, each tie is almost impossible to predict.

The draw has actually gone down quite well with Arsenal fans. Maybe it looks worse than it is. They will be favourites to beat Bayern and then it’s a semi against either Madrid, who the odds say are less likely to win the competition, or City, who they could beat to the tite.

I guess they just have a more positive mentality these days.

The first legs of the ties will be played on the ninth and 10th of April, with the return legs to be played a week later.

Applause all round and the officials congratulate Mikel like he’s just won the thing.

The Europa League is coming a little later on, but I need some time to digest that. I’m way too giddy.

And just like that, it’s over.

All the build up. All the anticipaton. Over in minutes.

The last eight draw is great. Pretty much impossible to predict the winners of each tie, I think.

And then the semis draw… wow. There is definitely a more difficult side of the draw, let’s say.

Read the full report below.

Best of luck, Arsenal fans!

Whoever comes out on top of this side of the draw will have done very well. Very well.

These are literally the four favourites. Mikel, thank you.

I don’t think it would be wrong to say this is certainly the easier side of the draw. One of these fourteams will be in the final.

This has to give Barca and PSG a fantastic chance. Potentially a winning goodbye for either Kylian Mbappe or Xavi.

We’ll now find out the last four ties. This is rapid.

That’s your lot. The Lionel Messi derby (meh) concludes the draw.

This is why we do it. A juggrnaut of a tie.

City will have to do it the hard way if they are to defend their title and that will include beating Jude Bellingham and Co. in the last eight.

City beat them 5-1 on aggregate in the semis last year, but Madrid are much improved this season. The tie of the round, no doubt.

The two least-fancied teams. One of them will be in the last four and it’s anyone’s guess who.

Maybe Griezmann can realise his dream.

What a start that is to the draw. This tie may bring back unwanted memories for Gunners fans, notably the 2017 Champions League when Bayern smashed them 10-2 on aggregate.

But these are two very different sides now. And Harry Kane will face his boyhood club – I mean rivals.

Keep in mind the battle for the extra Champions League place next season, too…

Mikel pays tribute to Roman Abramovic for helping Chelsea win the Champions League. Now now.

I once saw Mikel play for Middlesborough against Rotherham in 2019.

He says he hopes the final is between Man City and Arsenal.

We are about to get underway, I believe.

UEFA deputy general security Giorgio Marchetti has been introduced to the stage. You know the guy that looks like Claudi Ranieri.

He gives his congratulations to the eight quarter-finalists as club officials watch on.

The special guest is John Obi Mikel. He is doing the draw. That explains a lot from earlier…

Pedro Pinto is hosting from ‘the house of European football’, in his words.

He’s just reminded us that Arsenal’s shootout win over Porto was the first shootout in the competiton since 2016. Is that right? That is mental.

Anyway, he’s currently running through the eight clubs, as well as final host city London for some reason.

This is really irrelevant but I lived in the building on the left of the below image when I was at uni.

Right then, the coverage has begun. The championnsssss!

Time for all the malarky before the actual draw, I suppose.

Theres are just five minutes to go until we get started.

The Champions League social media accounts have been sharing snaps of the balls ready for today, and have posted the English and German teams specifically on X.

They know what they’re doing…

John Obi Mikel is in the building for the draw. Me neither.

The Champions League Instagram account have shared a snap of the former Chelsea man posing with the trophy. He won it with the Blues in 2012.

Antoine Greizmann has never won the Champions League. He probably never will.

But that won’t drop him dreaming. The forward has been speaking about his tough season with Atletico Madrid, his time at Barcelona and why he still has ambitions despite entering the twilight years of his career.

The clubs are preparing to learn their fates this morning. I’m not sure there are any ‘easy’ draws possible.

We wil be getting underway in just under half an hour..

I may as well do a run through of how each team got to where they are in terms of their last 16 results.

The great thing about knockout football is that anything can happen, it really can.

We saw it in the last round and when you have eight elite teams left it’s hard to predict.

Anyway, here’s a recap of the second legs. I’ll even hyperlink each one. You are so welcome.

Can anyone make a solid case for Man City not winning the Treble again this season…?

They are favourties to win the Champions League once again, ahead of fellow Premier League side Arsenal!

Real Madrid follow, and then Bayern Munich, who I think will need to go some if they are to help Harry Kane win his first trophy.

Check out the odds from our friends at Paddy Power below.

• Man City – 6/4
• Arsenal – 4/1
• Real Madrid – 9/2
• Bayern Munich – 6/1
• PSG – 11/1
• Barcelona – 14/1
• Atletico Madrid – 19/1
• Dortmund – 25/1

We have simulated the draw to see what the teams remaining could end up with today. A lot of make believe before the action gets underway at 11, apparently.

I personally would not be opposed to this being the real thing. My mouth is watering.

Check out our simulated draw below.

I’ve been scanning for some predicted tables for some hypothesising and Football Web Pages have come up with the following. I’m not sure how, but it’s fun to think of potential scenarios.

In this case, Aston Villa would be the beneficiaries of the extra place, qualifying for the Champions League in fifth. Newcastle and Brighton would get Europa League spots, while Chelsea – I know – would finish in the Conference League.

Detailed in the article below is how a number of teams from England could play in Europe next season. It’s up to 11 – but, relax, that would involve Man City or Arsenal finishing outside the top eight which is simply not going to happen.

Nine, though is a possibility. It would likely need England to earn the extra place and West Ham win the Europa League.

All in all, this is good news for the likes of Tottenham, Aston Villa, Manchester United, etc. Spurs being helped out by Arsenal and West Ham is quite funny.

On the topic of the new format, more places means more teams and England have moved ahead of Germany in the bid to secure the extra spot next season.

That’s mainly in thanks to West Ham thrashing Freiburg in the Champions League last night. It means England have five teams left in Europe compared to Germany’s three, and the two countries are almost equal when it comes to the coefficient points.

It’s very confusing, I can’t lie to you. I’ve been back and forth with my editor all day. So check out the full breakdown of what’s going on on that front below.

As weird as it may sound, today is actually the final ever Champions League draw. Sort of.

From next year, the competition format is changing, and the draw will be done somewhat automatically due to time constraints surrounding the new format.

UEFA have said the precise format for the draw is still in the final development phase but that it would be a ‘hybrid’ event involving some manual drawing of balls and some automation.

There are of course eight teams remaining in the competition after the last 16 ties concluded this week.

• Arsenal
• Atletico Madrid
• Barcelona
• Bayern Munich
• Borussia Dortmund
• Manchster City
• PSG
• Real Madrid

Anyone can play anyone now, so it’s anyone’s game. Some absolutely gigantic ties are sure to be made.

Good morning one and all and welcome to Mail Sport’s coverage of today’s Champions League draw.

We will have the last eight and last four draws for you, with the ceremony expected to get underway at around 11am UK time in Nyon, Switzerland.

We’ll have all the build-up to then right here as the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City prepare to learn their fate.