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Luis Enrique has revealed who he would like to play in the next round between Liverpool and his former club Barcelona.

With the play-offs now concluded, attention turns to the Round of 16 draw.

Under the revamped structure, Liverpool’s first-place league finish paired them with one of four teams advancing from the 15th–18th ranked group in the knockout phase play-offs.

This group originally included Paris Saint-Germain (15th), Benfica (16th), Monaco (17th), and Brest (18th).

However, the two-legged ties narrowed this pool decisively: PSG demolished Brest 10-0 on aggregate, while Benfica edged Monaco 3-2 over both legs56. These results eliminated Monaco and Brest, leaving PSG and Benfica as Liverpool’s only possible opponents.

The draw scheduled to take place on Friday, February 21, at 11:00 AM UK time, at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland.

The draw will be streamed live on the UEFA website, allowing fans worldwide to witness the moment when the paths of Europe’s top clubs are decided.

Without country protection, the draw could potentially pair teams from the same nation, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the competition.

What did Luis Enrique say about Liverpool and Barcelona?

The former Barcelona manager did not give a definitive answer when quizzed on his preference between the two clubs, saying in a recent media interview: “I like both cities, we’re ready.”

But having led the Catalan side to a treble in 2015, it seems his bonds with the club remain.

Speaking in his own documentary ‘Luis Enrique: You Have No F****** Idea’ that aired last year, it seems the Spaniard was a bit more honest and said on the Champions League quarter-final last season:

“The tie against Barça was horrible.

Everything emotional came together—coming back home was a joy, but coming back home against the club that gave me the most as a player and as a coach… A horrible feeling for me, for my children, and for my wife.”

“I hope we don’t have to play them again this season!

I really hope it doesn’t happen.”

So it seems that he may prefer Liverpool, irrespective of form, purely because of his unique bond with Barcelona.

In prior Champions League formats, Liverpool would have awaited a random draw post-playoffs.

The new bracket system—where league phase performance dictates a predefined knockout path—eliminates this unpredictability.

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