The first phase of the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League has concluded, eliminating the bottom 12 teams from the competition. On Friday, the draw for the knockout playoffs took place, revealing the matchups, schedule, and format for the remainder of the tournament.
With the league phase completed, the top eight teams have secured direct qualification to the Round of 16. Meanwhile, teams ranked between 9th and 24th place must navigate the playoff stage to earn their spot in the knockout rounds.
Final standings played a crucial role in determining home-field advantage, as the higher-ranked team in each playoff matchup will host the second leg. The same rule applies in the Round of 16, where the best-ranked teams from the league phase will have the advantage of playing the decisive match at home.
Champions League playoff matchups:
Stade Brestois (18th in the table) – Paris Saint-Germain (15th)Club Brugge (24th) – Atalanta (9th)Manchester City (22nd) – Real Madrid (11th)Juventus (20th) – PSV Eindhoven (14th)Monaco (17th) – Benfica (16th)Sporting Lisbon (23rd) – Borussia Dortmund (10th)Celtic (21st) – Bayern Munich (12th)Feyenoord (19th) – AC Milan (13th)
The first-leg matches will take place on February 11-12, with the return legs scheduled for February 18-19.
Potential Champions League round of 16 matchups
The eight teams that secured direct passage to the Round of 16 are Liverpool, FC Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille, and Aston Villa. These teams will benefit from skipping the playoff stage, allowing for crucial rest in an already congested calendar.
Based on the tournament format, the potential Round of 16 matchups could be:
Liverpool or FC Barcelona vs. Winner of Brest – PSG or Monaco – BenficaArsenal or Inter vs. Winner of Juventus – PSV or Feyenoord – Milan.Atletico de Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen vs. Winner of Manchester City – Real Madrid or Celtic – Bayern Munich.Lille or Aston Villa vs. Winner of Club Brugee – Atalanta or Sporting – Borussia Dortmund.
The draw for the Round of 16, quarterfinals, and semifinals will be held on Friday, February 21, paving the way for the final, which is set to take place on May 31 at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
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