For eight UEFA Champions League teams, Wednesday night marked the first milestone on the journey towards May’s final at the Puskas Arena in Budapest.
For Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting CP and Manchester City, it was a case of mission accomplished from a gruelling eight-game league phase as the additional challenge of navigating a two-legged play-off – and a potential fixture pile-up – in February was avoided.
Last season, City’s failure to finish inside the top eight led to a perilous shoot-out with 15-time winners Real Madrid, which ultimately brought to an abrupt end their European campaign.
Madrid’s dramatic 4-2 defeat in Lisbon against Jose Mourinho’s Benfica means Los Blancos will need to go through the same process again – and could be paired with the Portuguese giants in the play-offs following goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin’s 98th-minute header which sent the hosts through on goal difference.
Ahead of the draw in Switzerland, TNT Sports runs you through all the details you need – and, crucially, who your team could face as the first knockout round takes shape.
Who could Arsenal face in the last 16?
Part of the beauty of the new format is that the sides that are through to the last 16 know the four teams they could potentially face.
Having clinched top spot, Arsenal will play one of Borussia Dortmund, Olympiacos, Atalanta or Bayer Leverkusen in the last-16 – and, like all of the top eight, be at home in the second leg.
Who could Liverpool face in the last 16?
Liverpool, who finished third in the league phase, will take on Club Brugge, Galatasaray, Juventus or Atletico Madrid.
Who could Tottenham Hotspur face in the last 16?
Fourth-placed Tottenham can look forward to a trip to either Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Club Brugge or Galatasaray in their first leg before hosting the return fixture.
Who could Chelsea face in the last 16?
For Chelsea, it will be one of Paris Saint-Germain, Newcastle, Monaco or Qarabag.
Who could Manchester City face in the last 16?
Manchester City‘s eighth-placed finish means they will face one of Benfica, Bodo/Glimt, Inter Milan or – you guessed it – Real Madrid.
UCL knockout phase play-off and round of 16
Monaco/Qarabag vs PSG/Newcastle
Winners of play-off ties to face Barcelona or Chelsea in last 16
Club Brugge/Galatasaray v Juventus/Atletico Madrid
Winners of play-off ties to face Liverpool or Tottenham in last 16
Bodo/Glimt/Benfica v Real Madrid/Inter Milan
Winners of play-off ties to face Sporting or Man City in last 16
Borussia Dortmund/Olympiacos v Atalanta/Bayer Leverkusen
Winners of play-off ties to face Arsenal or Bayern Munich in last 16
When is the Champions League play-off draw?
The Champions League play-off draw takes place at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland, this Friday, January 30 at 11:00 GMT
When will the games take place?
The play-off ties will begin with first-leg fixtures on February 17 or 18, before concluding with the return legs a week later.
The seeded team will play at home in the second leg, with the unseeded team hosting the first leg (more on that later).
How does the draw work?
Most teams – barring Arsenal and Kairat – were jostling for positions right up until the final whistle on Wednesday, and for good reason. There was every incentive to finish higher up the 36-team ladder.
League position remains crucial for sides heading into the play-offs, giving added importance to securing points in the final round.
Clubs are paired according to their final league standings, forming seeded and unseeded groups.
Teams finishing ninth to 16th are seeded, while those in 17th to 24th are unseeded.
Each seeded pair is drawn against an unseeded pair – for example, those ninth and 10th will face off against the teams who finished 23rd and 24th.
Those that land in 11th and 12th will be drawn against the teams who finished 21st and 22nd and so on.
The seeded team have the advantage of playing the second leg at home.
Which teams are seeded?
- Real Madrid (9th)
- Inter Milan (10th)
- Paris Saint-Germain (11th)
- Newcastle (12th)
- Juventus (13th)
- Atletico Madrid (14th)
- Atalanta (15th)
- Bayer Leverkusen (16th)
Which teams are unseeded?
- Borussia Dortmund (17th)
- Olympiacos (18th)
- Club Brugge (19th)
- Galatasaray (20th)
- Monaco (21st)
- Qarabag (22nd)
- Bodo/Glimt (23rd)
- Benfica (24th)
Can sides from the same nation face each other?
Yes. Unlike in the league phase when clubs from the same association could not be drawn against each other, there is no such protection at this stage.
Provided you are in the same pairing, there is a 50/50 chance of a tie involving two teams from the same domestic competition.
What is more, clubs may also be drawn against an opponent they have already met during the league phase.
Once the play-offs are over, what happens next?
The eight play-off winners advance to the last 16 to face the league’s top eight, with all ties except the final played over two legs.
Those that finished inside the top eight of the league phase will be seeded in the draw, meaning they will play the second leg of their last-16 tie at home.
For the first time, this system also applies to the quarter-finals and semi-finals.
Teams finishing first to fourth are seeded for the quarter-finals, while the league’s top two earn semi-final seeding – both gaining the second-leg home advantage.
There is an even bigger reward for the unseeded side that progresses as they stand to inherit the seeding status of the team they conquer.
Champions League 2025/26 key dates
Knockout phase playoffs
- First legs: February 17 and 18
- Second legs: February 24 and 25
Round of 16
- First legs: March 10 and 11
- Second legs: March 17 and 18
Quarter-finals
- First legs: April 7 and 8
- Second legs: April 14 and 15
Semi-finals
- First legs: April 28 and 29
- Second legs: May 5 and 6
Final
- May 30 (Puskas Arena)
