Champions League Knockout Stage: Current Status and Qualification Details
The Champions League knockout phase is well underway, with the play-off round reaching its midpoint. Let’s examine the current situation after the first leg matches and look ahead to the upcoming stages of the competition.
This season’s revamped format introduced a league phase to create more high-profile matchups earlier in the tournament. Now, teams ranked 9th to 24th from that phase are competing in two-legged play-offs to determine the eight unseeded teams for the round of 16. These teams will face the top eight finishers from the league phase.
Play-off Matchups and Results
The play-off round features the following ties:
- Atalanta vs Club Brugge
- Borussia Dortmund vs Sporting CP
- Real Madrid vs Manchester City
- Bayern Munich vs Celtic
- AC Milan vs Feyenoord
- PSV Eindhoven vs Juventus
- Paris Saint-Germain vs Brest
- Benfica vs Monaco
First leg results include:
- PSG 3-0 Brest
- Juventus 2-1 PSV Eindhoven
- Manchester City 2-3 Real Madrid
- Sporting CP 0-3 Borussia Dortmund
- Club Brugge 2-1 Atalanta
- Celtic 1-2 Bayern Munich
- Feyenoord 1-0 AC Milan
- Monaco 0-1 Benfica
Round of 16 Draw
The draw for the round of 16 will take place on February 21 at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. At this stage, each qualified team will know they could face one of two potential opponents, but the exact pairings won’t be determined until after the play-offs conclude.
Key Dates
- Round of 16: March 4-5 and 11-12
- Quarter-finals: April 8-9 and 15-16
- Semi-finals: April 29-30 and May 6-7
- Final: May 31 at Allianz Arena, Munich
As the Champions League progresses, excitement builds for fans across Europe. The new format has added intrigue to the knockout stages, with more teams in contention and uncertain matchups ahead. Stay tuned for further updates as the competition unfolds.
