Arsenal going Dutch in round of 16 after Champions League upsets

Arsenal will head to the Netherlands for the Champions League round of 16 as their two potential opponents were confirmed following the conclusion of the play-offs.

Eredivisie outfits Feyenoord and PSV defied Opta's projection by advancing beyond Serie A opponents on Tuesday and Wednesday night respectively.

While an injury riddled and manager-less Feyenoord held onto their 1-0 first leg lead at Milan by pegging the Rossoneri back after Santiago Gimenez's early opener, PSV required extra time to down Juventus after overturning a 2-1 deficit in the return leg.

Milan and Juventus had been regarded as trickier potential opponents for the Gunners given their pedigrees in this competition, but their recent exits further proved that these two sides are far from vintage iterations. It was a terrible week for Serie A on the whole, with Atalanta also succumbing to Club Brugge.

That means Inter are the only Italian representative in the Champions League round of 16. The Nerazzurri will be on the opposite side of the draw to Mikel Arteta's Arsenal.

Arsenal to face Feyenoord or PSV in Champions League round of 16

Arsenal will find out who they'll face in Friday's draw, scheduled to take place at 12:00 CET (11:00 GMT / 06:00 ET).

In truth, there isn't too much to separate the two Dutch sides, although PSV are enjoying a better domestic campaign having dominated the Eredivisie last season. Peter Bosz's side met the Gunners in the group stages last season; losing 4-0 at the Emirates before holding a rotated team to a 1-1 draw in Eindhoven.

PSV are currently 12 points better off than Feyenoord in the Eredivisie table but are chasing Ajax at the summit.

The Rotterdammers bypassed Milan having recently parted ways with Arne Slot's replacement, Brian Friske. Pascal Bosschaart was in interim charge for the play-off tie, and there's talk of Feyenoord targeting former Gunners Robin van Persie as Friske's permanent successor.

De Kuip is a tough place to go and win, but Feyenoord's injury woes combined with the January departure of top scorer Gimenez renders them a more attractive opponent for Arsenal in the round of 16. Moreover, by drawing Feyenoord, whom we've never faced in a competitive fixture, the Gunners would also be on the opposite side of the draw to 15-time winners and current holders Real Madrid.

If Arteta's men bypass their Dutch opponent, they will face either Madrid, Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen or Atletico Madrid.

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