The draw for the knockout playoff spherical of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League featured among the greatest golf equipment in Europe. Now that it is full, we all know who the likes of Actual Madrid and defending champions Paris Saint-Germain will likely be dealing with with a spot within the spherical of 16 on the road.
However which groups look to have the most effective path by means of the knockout rounds? How is the remainder of the bracket shaping up?
Here is every thing you should find out about Champions League knockouts.
Which golf equipment are within the knockout playoff spherical?
Solely the 16 groups that completed ninth by means of twenty fourth within the league part will compete on this spherical.
The highest eight groups within the league part superior on to the spherical of 16, and golf equipment ending twenty fifth to thirty sixth had been eradicated.
When is the knockout playoff spherical?
The primary legs of every matchup will likely be held Feb. 17-18. The second legs will likely be contested the next week, on Feb. 24-25.
What are the knockout playoff spherical fixtures?
The groups that positioned ninth to sixteenth are listed second, and they’ll have the benefit of taking part in at residence within the second leg.
Borussia Dortmund vs. Atalanta
Benfica vs. Actual Madrid
AS Monaco vs. Paris Saint-Germain
Galatasaray vs. Juventus
Membership Brugge vs. Atletico Madrid
FK Qarabag vs. Newcastle United
Olympiacos vs. Bayer Leverkusen
What does this imply for the highest eight golf equipment?
After the playoff spherical draw, the groups who completed inside the highest eight within the league part nonetheless have 4 potential opponents within the spherical of 16.
The knockout playoff spherical will whittle the variety of potential opponents to 2. However the precise matchups will not be recognized till the round-of-16 draw.
Doable round-of-16 ties:
Arsenal or Bayern Munich will play one of many winners of:
Atalanta vs. Borussia Dortmund
Bayer Leverkusen vs. Olympiacos
Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur will play one of many winners of:
Membership Brugge vs. Atletico Madrid
Galatasaray vs. Juventus
Barcelona or Chelsea will play one of many winners of:
AS Monaco vs. Paris Saint-Germain
FK Qarabag vs. Newcastle United
Sporting CP or Manchester Metropolis will play one of many winners of:
Benfica vs. Actual Madrid
Bodo/Glimt vs. Internazionale
Is there any nation safety?
No — golf equipment from the identical nation can play one another all through the remainder of the competitors. If Borussia Dortmund defeat Atalanta, for instance, they’ll nonetheless be drawn towards fellow German membership Bayern Munich within the spherical of 16.
What occurs subsequent?
After groups compete within the two-legged knockout playoff spherical in February, the draw for the spherical of 16 will likely be held Feb. 27. That draw will decide the round-of-16 matchups and finalize the bracket for the rest of the knockout rounds.
What are the opposite essential Champions League dates to recollect?
Spherical of 16/quarterfinal/semifinal draw: Feb. 27
Spherical of 16: March 10-11, March 17-18
Quarterfinals: April 7-8, April 14-15
Semifinals: April 28-29, Might 5-6
Closing: Might 30 (Budapest, Hungary)
Why did it matter the place groups completed within the league part desk?
Final season supplied a notable instance of how the brand new system could make a big impact. Manchester Metropolis did not qualify for the knockouts till the ultimate day of the league part, and their Twenty second-place end meant they needed to compete within the knockout playoff spherical. As an unseeded crew, they had been drawn towards seeded Actual Madrid, who received 6-3 over two legs.
On the flip facet, PSG appeared unaffected by the additional spherical of matches, rolling previous Brest within the playoffs and all the way in which to the title.
This 12 months, high finishers reminiscent of Arsenal and Bayern Munich will profit by avoiding fellow European giants Actual Madrid and PSG within the spherical of 16.
