The UEFA Champions League’s first-ever league phase is over, and now, with the draw complete, the knockout stage outlook is now much clearer. Manchester City avoided disaster, Liverpool topped the league-phase table, and we will get Manchester City against either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the playoffs.
Friday’s draw on CBS Sports Golazo Network detailed the start to the path to the Champions League final at Munich’s Allianz Arena on May 31, resolving the next round of matchuops though team’s ultimate paths remain unsettled.
Knockout phase playoff matchups
Teams ranked ninth through 16th at the end of the league phase were seeded and drawn against one of the unseeded teams.
The seeded team will host the second leg and the team with the greater aggregate score will advance to the round of 16, with extra time and penalties looming if the aggregate score is tied.
Here are the knockout phase playoff matchups
- Atalanta vs. Club Brugge
- Borussia Dortmund vs, Sporting
- Real Madrid vs. Manchester City
- Bayern Munich vs. Celtic
- Milan vs. Feyenoord
- PSV vs. Juventus
- PSG vs. Brest
- Benfica vs. Monaco
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Round of 16: Possible fixtures
CBS Sports
Who advanced to round of 16 with top-eight finish?
- Liverpool‘s possible opponents in round of 16: PSG, Benfica, Monaco, Brest
- Barcelona‘s possible opponents in round of 16: PSG, Benfica, Monaco, Brest
- Arsenal‘s possible opponents in round of 16: Milan, PSV, Feyenoord, Juventus2
- Inter‘s possible opponents in round of 16: Milan, PSV, Feyenoord, Juventus
- Atletico Madrid‘s possible opponents in round of 16: Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Celtic, Manchester City
- Bayer Leverkusen‘s possible opponents in round of 16: Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Celtic, Manchester City
- Lille‘s possible opponents in round of 16: Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund, Sporting, Club Brugge
- Aston Villa‘s possible opponents in round of 16: Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund, Sporting, Club Brugge
How did teams qualify for the knockouts?
In the 36-team league phase, the teams that finish in the top eight will earn a bye and qualify directly for the round of 16. Those ranked ninth through 24th will enter the first-ever knockout phase playoffs, while the teams ranked 25th or lower will be eliminated. Unlike previous editions of the Champions League, no teams will drop down to the UEFA Europa League.
Are there away goals, and can teams from same country meet?
The away goals rule will not apply, and there will be no restriction on teams from the same country playing each other.
How does the round of 16 work?
Teams that finished the league phase ranked first through eighth will be seeded in this round, while the teams that advanced through the knockout phase playoffs will be unseeded. The rules of the previous round apply and there will also be predetermined pairings that will create the bracket. There is an added reward for the teams that finished the league phase in the top four, though – they will essentially have their own quadrants of the bracket and would not face each other until the latter stages of the competition.
Here are the predetermined pairings for the round of 16.
- Pairing A: 1/2 vs. Winner IV
- Pairing B: 3/4 vs. Winner III
- Pairing C: 5/6 vs. Winner II
- Pairing D: 7/8 vs. Winner I
Key Champions League dates
- Jan. 31: Draw for the knockout phase playoffs
- Feb. 11-Feb. 19: Knockout phase playoffs
- Feb. 21: Draw for the round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and final
- March 4-12: Round of 16
- April 8-16: Quarterfinals
- April 29-May 7: Semifinals
- May 31: Final
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