The UEFA Champions League’s first-ever league section is over, and the knockout stage outlook is now a lot clearer. Manchester Metropolis prevented catastrophe, Liverpool topped the league-phase desk, and we’ll get Manchester Metropolis towards both Actual Madrid or Bayern Munich within the playoffs.
Friday’s draw, set for six a.m. ET on CBS Sports activities Golazo Community will element the trail to the Champions League closing at Munich’s Allianz Area on Could 31 as who will play who nonetheless within the spherical of 16 stays unsettled.
Here is what to know:
Manchester Metropolis saved by Savinho in Champions League, overturn one objective deficit to win 3-1 and advance
James Benge
UEFA Champions League Bracket
Knockout spherical playoffs: Attainable fixtures
CBS Sports activities
Spherical of 16: Attainable fixtures
CBS Sports activities
Who superior to spherical of 16 with top-eight end?
- Liverpool‘s attainable opponents in spherical of 16: PSG, Benfica, Monaco, Brest
- Barcelona‘s attainable opponents in spherical of 16: PSG, Benfica, Monaco, Brest
- Arsenal‘s attainable opponents in spherical of 16: Milan, PSV, Feyenoord, Juventus2
- Inter‘s attainable opponents in spherical of 16: Milan, PSV, Feyenoord, Juventus
- Atletico Madrid‘s attainable opponents in spherical of 16: Actual Madrid, Bayern Munich, Celtic, Manchester Metropolis
- Bayer Leverkusen‘s attainable opponents in spherical of 16: Actual Madrid, Bayern Munich, Celtic, Manchester Metropolis
- Lille‘s attainable opponents in spherical of 16: Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund, Sporting, Membership Brugge
- Aston Villa‘s attainable opponents in spherical of 16: Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund, Sporting, Membership Brugge
How do the knockout section playoffs work?
Groups ranked ninth by sixteenth on the finish of the league section can be seeded and can be drawn towards one of many unseeded groups. Every seeded workforce can have 4 potential opponents and can discover out their precise foe in Friday’s draw earlier than taking part in a two-legged collection.
The seeded workforce will host the second leg and the workforce with the higher mixture rating will advance to the spherical of 16, with additional time and penalties looming if the combination rating is tied.
Listed here are the predetermined pairings for the groups that may play within the knockout section playoffs.
- Atalanta‘s attainable opponents in knockout playoffs: Sporting, Membership Brugge
- Borussia Dortmund‘s attainable opponents in knockout playoffs: Sporting, Membership Brugge
- Actual Madrid‘s attainable opponents in knockout playoffs: Celtic, Manchester Metropolis
- Bayern Munich‘s attainable opponents in knockout playoffs: Celtic, Manchester Metropolis
- Milan‘s attainable opponents in knockout playoffs: Feyenoord, Juventus
- PSV‘s attainable opponents in knockout playoffs: Feyenoord, Juventus
- PSG‘s attainable opponents in knockout playoffs: Monaco, Brest
- Benfica‘s attainable opponents in knockout playoffs: Monaco, Brest
- Monaco‘s attainable opponents in knockout playoffs: PSG, Benfica
- Brest‘s attainable opponents in knockout playoffs: PSG, Benfica
- Feyenoord‘s attainable opponents in knockout playoffs: Milan, PSV
- Juventus‘ attainable opponents in knockout playoffs: Milan, PSV
- Celtic‘s attainable opponents in knockout playoffs: Actual Madrid, Bayern Munich
- Manchester Metropolis‘s attainable opponents in knockout playoffs: Actual Madrid, Bayern Munich
- Sporting‘s attainable opponents in knockout playoffs: Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund
- Membership Brugge‘s attainable opponents in knockout playoffs: Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund
How do groups qualify for the knockouts?
Within the 36-team league section, the groups that end within the high eight will earn a bye and qualify straight for the spherical of 16. These ranked ninth by twenty fourth will enter the first-ever knockout section playoffs, whereas the groups ranked twenty fifth or decrease can be eradicated. Not like earlier editions of the Champions League, no groups will drop right down to the UEFA Europa League.
Are there away objectives, and might groups from similar nation meet?
The away objectives rule is not going to apply, and there can be no restriction on groups from the identical nation enjoying one another.
How does the spherical of 16 work?
Groups that completed the league section ranked first by eighth can be seeded on this spherical, whereas the groups that superior by the knockout section playoffs can be unseeded. The foundations of the earlier spherical apply and there may also be predetermined pairings that may create the bracket. There may be an added reward for the groups that completed the league section within the high 4, although – they may primarily have their very own quadrants of the bracket and wouldn’t face one another till the latter phases of the competitors.
Listed here are the predetermined pairings for the spherical 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 section playoffs
- Feb. 11-Feb. 19: Knockout section playoffs
- Feb. 21: Draw for the spherical of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and closing
- March 4-12: Spherical of 16
- April 8-16: Quarterfinals
- April 29-Could 7: Semifinals
- Could 31: Last
