Champions League: All You Need to Know About the Knockout Stage Draw
The anticipation is building as sixteen teams prepare to learn their fate in the Champions League knockout draw, scheduled for Friday at 11:00 GMT. Five Premier League clubs – Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Tottenham Hotspur – are already confirmed participants, with Newcastle United poised to join them after a dominant 6-1 victory over Qarabag in their play-off first leg. This promises to be a thrilling competition, filled with potential upsets and captivating clashes.
How the Draw Works
The eight winners from the two-legged play-off phase will be added to the top eight teams from the league-phase table for the draw. This will determine the bracket for the entire knockout stage, revealing potential quarter-final, semi-final, and final opponents. The draw will also consider seeding, with teams that finished in the top eight of the league phase enjoying the advantage of playing the second leg at home.
This season marks a significant change, as league-phase rankings will also influence seeding for the quarter-finals and semi-finals. Teams finishing first to fourth will be seeded for the quarter-finals, securing a home advantage in the second leg. The league leaders and runners-up will also benefit from playing the second leg of their semi-final ties at home, should they advance.
Key Dates for Your Calendar
- Last-16 First Legs: March 10 or 11
- Last-16 Second Legs: March 17-18
- Quarter-finals First Legs: April 7-8
- Quarter-finals Second Legs: April 14-15
- Semi-finals First Legs: April 28-29
- Semi-finals Second Legs: May 5-6
- Final: May 30 at Puskas Arena, Budapest, Hungary
Potential Matchups and Seedings
Here’s a look at the potential opponents for the seeded teams:
- Arsenal (Top Seed): Olympiakos, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, or Atalanta
- Liverpool & Tottenham: Atletico Madrid, Club Brugge, Galatasaray, or Juventus
- Manchester City: Bodo/Glimt, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, or Benfica
- Chelsea: Qarabag, Newcastle, Monaco, or Paris St-Germain
If Newcastle progresses, they could face either Chelsea or Barcelona.
January Transfers and Eligibility
Good news for clubs looking to bolster their squads! Players signed during the January transfer window are eligible to participate in the Champions League knockout phase. This means Manchester City can now utilize Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo, while Tottenham can welcome Conor Gallagher. Mamadou Sarr is also eligible for Chelsea following his loan recall. However, clubs must have registered these players on their Champions League ‘A list’ before the knockout play-offs.
Premier League Scheduling Concerns
The Premier League has raised concerns with UEFA regarding scheduling conflicts, particularly for teams playing on Sunday, March 15th. However, UEFA has not provided any guarantees regarding schedule adjustments, and matches cannot be played on Thursday, March 19th. This situation is complicated by the presence of six English clubs in the competition.
Can Teams From the Same Nation Meet?
Yes, teams from the same nation can be drawn against each other in the knockout phase. Furthermore, clubs can also face opponents they have already encountered during the league phase.
Stay tuned for the official draw on Friday and prepare for a captivating Champions League knockout stage! For more information, visit BBC Sport.
