Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen will face Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League round of 16, just days after admitting he would rather avoid the English giants.

Osimhen had expressed his reservations following Galatasaray’s dramatic 7-5 aggregate victory over Juventus in the knockout phase play-offs, saying, “I mean to be honest with you, meeting Liverpool now is going to be like some sort of revenge.

“I would like to escape Liverpool. But if they come, yeah, we’re going to dig it out, but it’s not going to be easy.”

Friday’s draw confirmed his fears, handing Galatasaray a last-16 tie against the Premier League leaders. The two sides have already met this season, with Osimhen scoring the only goal in a shock 1-0 Galatasaray victory in the league phase in September.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot acknowledged the difficulty of the draw, noting that his side would need to improve on their earlier showing in Istanbul.

“We know in the away leg we will have to perform better than the last time we were in Istanbul back in September,” Slot said. “But the main feeling is excitement because this is what we worked so hard for in the league stage.”

The first legs are scheduled for March 10 and 11, with the return fixtures on March 17 and 18.

Elsewhere in the draw, fellow Super Eagles star Ademola Lookman and his Atletico Madrid side will face Tottenham Hotspur, while Nathan Tella’s Bayer Leverkusen have been handed a tie against Arsenal.

Lookman, who has impressed since joining the Spanish club, will fancy his chances against a Spurs side struggling domestically and embroiled in a surprising relegation battle.

Tella faces arguably the tougher assignment, with Arsenal widely regarded as one of the best teams in the world at present. The German side will need to be at their very best across both legs.

In the other draws, Barcelona face Newcastle United, holders Paris Saint-Germain take on Chelsea, Real Madrid meet Manchester City for a fifth successive season, Atalanta face Bayern Munich, and Bodo Glimt square up against Sporting CP.

The final will be played at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, on May 30.