How does the Champions League knockout play-off draw work?


After the UEFA’s decision, the Champions League 2024/25 was full of changes to revise its Premier Club competition.

After the long -term group phase had been expanded to 36 teams for the first time, it was replaced by the “Swiss model” phase. The first phase of the first division ended on Wednesday, whereby 24 pages qualified for the KO -Phase of the competition.

However, it is not quite as easy. The eight top teams all automatically secured up to the last 16, while the remaining qualifications were placed in the knockout play-off round. The eight winners are hit against other participants for a two -legged draw and then drive to the last 16.

Here is everything you need to know about the draw of the Champions League Knockout Playout.

FBL-U1-Draw

The Champions League tarting takes place this month / Valery Hache / Gettyimages

After the league phase was completed Friday January 31 at 11:00 a.m. GMT And organizes the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland.

The draw will affect 16 teams and sow, the pages ended by the ninth to 16th clubs ended with the overall ranking between the 17th and 24th place.

Opponents are also determined by pairings within the table. For example, the ninth and tenth teams will face the 23rd and 24th teams.

FBL-U1-Celtic-Young boys

Celtic has reached the Knockout phase for the first time since 2012/13/Andy Buchanan/Gettyimages

The clubs, which ended between the ninth and 24th place in the league phase table, will compete in the play-off round, while those below the top eight in the last 16 and those between 25 and 36. to be removed from the competition.

The pages that could not qualify for the KO -phase will not fall into the European League.

The opponents are only confirmed on Friday, but those involved know that they will already face one of two teams. Ninth and tenth, for example, will be one of the two teams who took the 23rd or 24th place, during the 11th and 12th place in the 21st or 22nd team against the teams. The same format continues for the teams between the 13th and the 20th.

Clubs involved in the Champions League Knockout Playout round

Association

Last league phase position

Atalanta

9.

Borussia Dortmund

10.

real Madrid

11.

Bayern Munich

12.

AC Milan

13.

PSV Eindhoven

14.

Paris Saint-Germain

15.

Benfica

16.

Monaco

17.

Brest

18.

Feyenoord

19.

Juventus

20.

Celtic

21.

Manchester City

22.

Sporting CP

23.

Club Brugge

24.

The clubs left the Champions League after the league phase

Harvey Elliott, Mohamed Salah

Liverpool automatically qualified for the last 16 / Carl Recine / Gettyimages

Liverpool, Arsenal and Barcelona are among the eight teams that have automatically qualified for the last 16 by ending in the top 8, which means avoiding a nerve-inducing play-off context. The trio appeared impressively in the phase of the eight game league.

Instead, they will be sown again by one of the winners of the Play -offs – depending on the league phase position – and thus secure a well -cited break before they go to the field in the last 16 early March.

The Knockout play-off games take place for over a week, with the first legs being put on 11/12 February and the second legs February 18/19. Every team will play once on a Tuesday and once on a Wednesday.

The draw for the round of 16 will occur Friday, February 21st After all play-off reverse were completed.

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