The UEFA Champions League’s first-ever league phase came to a dramatic close on Wednesday, setting up for an equally entertaining knockout stage that begins in two weeks’ time. The introduction of the new format means the Champions League will introduce a new phase of competition in February when 16 teams will take part in the knockout round playoffs. While the top eight teams in the league phase earned direct passageway to the round of 16, the other 16 teams will face off against each other to advance in the competition and chart their course to the final on May 31 at Munich’s Allianz Arena.
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Though the full bracket has not been determined just yet, the road to Munich is becoming clearer now that the list of teams competing in the knockout phase playoffs is confirmed. The list of possible matchups in both the next round and the round of 16 are known, and the upcoming draws and matches will officially determine what the rest of the tournament looks like for Europe’s top teams.
Ahead of Friday’s draw, here’s what to know about the Champions League knockouts.
Bracket
Who will participate in the knockout phase playoffs?
- No. 9: Atalanta
- No. 10: Borussia Dortmund
- No. 11: Real Madrid
- No. 12: Bayern Munich
- No. 13: AC Milan
- No. 14: PSV
- No. 15: Paris Saint-Germain
- No. 16: Benfica
- No. 17: Monaco
- No. 18: Brest
- No. 19: Feyenoord
- No. 20: Juventus
- No. 21: Celtic
- No. 22: Manchester City
- No. 23: Sporting Lisbon
- No. 24: Club Brugge
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 do the knockout phase playoffs work?
Teams ranked ninth through 16th at the end of the league phase will be seeded and will be drawn against one of the unseeded teams. Each seeded team will have four potential opponents and will find out their actual foe in Friday’s draw before participating in a two-legged series.
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 predetermined pairings for the teams that will play in the knockout phase playoffs.
- Atalanta‘s possible opponents in knockout playoffs: Sporting, Club Brugge
- Borussia Dortmund‘s possible opponents in knockout playoffs: Sporting, Club Brugge
- Real Madrid‘s possible opponents in knockout playoffs: Celtic, Manchester City
- Bayern Munich‘s possible opponents in knockout playoffs: Celtic, Manchester City
- Milan‘s possible opponents in knockout playoffs: Feyenoord, Juventus
- PSV‘s possible opponents in knockout playoffs: Feyenoord, Juventus
- PSG‘s possible opponents in knockout playoffs: Monaco, Brest
- Benfica‘s possible opponents in knockout playoffs: Monaco, Brest
- Monaco‘s possible opponents in knockout playoffs: PSG, Benfica
- Brest‘s possible opponents in knockout playoffs: PSG, Benfica
- Feyenoord‘s possible opponents in knockout playoffs: Milan, PSV
- Juventus‘ possible opponents in knockout playoffs: Milan, PSV
- Celtic‘s possible opponents in knockout playoffs: Real Madrid, Bayern Munich
- Manchester City‘s possible opponents in knockout playoffs: Real Madrid, Bayern Munich
- Sporting‘s possible opponents in knockout playoffs: Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund
- Club Brugge‘s possible opponents in knockout playoffs: Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund
What does the path look like for the round of 16?
The round of 16 draw will take place on Feb. 21, shortly after the knockout phase playoffs are complete. Teams that finished in the top eight in the league phase will be seeded, while those that advance from the knockout phase playoffs will be unseeded. The group of teams that could face the seeded teams in the round of 16 are already determined, even if the exact matchups will be decided next month. Again, the use of predetermined pairings will come into play here.
What are the rules for the knockout stages?
Regardless of the round, each tie except for the final will be a two-legged series in which teams will advance with a better aggregate score. The away goals rule will no longer apply and if teams are tied at the end of 90 minutes in the second leg, they will advance to extra time and, if needed, penalty kicks. Teams will no longer be barred from facing opposition from the same country at any stage of the knockout rounds, unlike in previous years.
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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