As the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 season progresses, the league phase has brought excitement and drama, and now the competition is set to enter its revamped knockout rounds. The new format has added a fresh twist to the tournament, particularly with the introduction of knockout round play-offs for teams finishing 9th to 24th.
The top eight teams from the league phase have secured automatic passage into the last 16 as seeded teams, enjoying a significant advantage as they advance to the knockout stages. These clubs will be looking to capitalize on their favorable position as the competition intensifies.
Knockout Round Play-Offs: Seeding and Match Structure
For teams finishing in 9th to 16th place, they will enter the knockout round play-offs, where they are seeded and face unseeded teams from 17th to 24th in a two-legged encounter. The seeded teams will play the second leg at home, offering them an advantage in the second half of the tie.
The eight winners of these play-offs will join the seeded teams in the last 16. Once the play-offs are concluded, the eight seeded teams will face the eight winning teams, with the knockout round intensifying as teams vie for a spot in the quarterfinals.
UEFA Champions League 2024/25 playoffs draw | ||
Play-off No. | Team 1 | Team 2 |
Play-off 1 | Monaco or Brest | Paris Saint-Germain or Benfica |
Play-off 2 | Sporting Lisbon or Club Brugge | Atalanta or Borussia Dortmund |
Play-off 3 | Celtic or Manchester City | Real Madrid or Bayern Munich |
Play-off 4 | Feyenoord or Juventus | AC Milan or PSV Eindhoven |
Play-off 5 | Juventus or Feyenoord | PSV Eindhoven or AC Milan |
Play-off 6 | Manchester or Celtic | Bayern Munich or Real Madrid |
Play-off 7 | Club Brugge or Sporting Lisbon | Atalanta or Borussia Dortmund |
Play-off 8 | Brest or Monaco | Benfica or Paris Saint-Germain |
When is the UEFA Champions League Knockout Round Draw?
The much-anticipated draw for the knockout round play-offs will take place at 6 am ET (4:30 PM IST) on Friday, January 31, at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. The first legs of the play-offs will be held on February 11-12, while the second legs will follow on February 18-19. The stakes are high, as the tournament moves closer to the coveted final stages.