Who will Arsenal play in UCL round of 16? Draw and opponents explained

Arsenal round off the league phase of their Champions League campaign with a trip to Girona on Wednesday night, but in truth the vast majority of the hard work has already been done by Mikel Arteta's side.

The Gunners come into Matchday 8 of the competition in third place and all but guaranteed their spot in the last-16, but they'll still be keeping an eye on other results as they seek to determine just where they'll end up in the table.

Girona, who lost 1-0 at home to Liverpool in December, are already eliminated from the competition and will be playing their final European match of the season. That is certainly not the case for the Gunners though, and here's how you can plot their potential next opponents.

Where will Arsenal finish in the Champions League table?

If they win in Girona, as they should do, then Arsenal will either finish second or third in the league phase, barring some remarkable goal difference miracles. If Barcelona beat Atalanta then the Gunners will finish third with a win, if Barca draw they'll only climb above them into second with a four-goal win, and if Barca lose then Arsenal finish second with a win.

If Arsenal fail to win then they will be left looking at the results of Inter Milan (home to Monaco), Atletico Madrid (away to Salzburg), AC Milan (away to Dinamo Zagreb) and Atalanta (away to Barcelona). All of whom would surpass them in the table if they win and the Gunners lose, while Inter would do it if they win and Arsenal draw. Leverkusen, Aston Villa, Monaco, Feyenoord, Lille and Brest could also theoretically pass Arsenal but it won't happen.

Is there a difference between finishing second and third in the Champions League?

Yes, and it's quite significant. Teams finishing first and second are placed on the opposite side of the bracket and can't face each other until the final. If Arsenal do finish second that means that Liverpool will have placed first, meaning they won't play the Reds until the Munich showpiece in May.

There's also the financial element to it. Each win in the league phase is worth around £1.7m, with each draw about £587,000. Each position in the table is worth circa £230,000, and there's a £1.6m bonus for a top eight spot.

Who will Arsenal play in the round of 16?

If the Gunners finish third or fourth, their most likely position, then the playoff positions to keep an eye on are 13th, 14th, 19th and 20th. Their round of 16 opponents will come from these teams, with the draw taking place on Friday at 11am UK time to determine which pairing it will be.

If Arsenal finish second then their opponents will come from the sides placed 15th-18th, while if they finish fifth or sixth they will face a side who came 11th-12th or one that came 21st-22nd. It is highly unlikely that they come any lower than sixth.