The anticipation surrounding the Champions League intensifies as the knockout play-offs draw to a close, paving the way for the last-16 draw. This pivotal event is slated for Friday, February 21, at 11 am, and will be streamed live on Sky Sports' digital platforms. As the competition progresses, fans eagerly await to see which top clubs will face off in the next stage.
In this season's format, the top eight clubs automatically secured their spots in the last 16 based on their positions at the end of the league phase. These elite teams include Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille, and Aston Villa. Additionally, Tuesday night’s matches confirmed Bayern Munich, Benfica, Club Brugge, and Feyenoord’s advancement.
The draw on February 21 will involve pairing these top eight clubs according to their league phase standings. The formation of four seeded pairs is as follows: 1st and 2nd, 3rd and 4th, 5th and 6th, and 7th and 8th. The clubs in each seeded pair will then be allocated one of two positions in the round of 16 against the corresponding winner from the knockout phase play-offs.
The knockout phase play-offs, crucial to determining the remaining participants in the last 16, will feature teams that finished 9th to 16th in the league phase. These matches are scheduled for February 11-12 and February 18-19. The victors will move on to face the seeded teams in the eagerly awaited round of 16 matches set for March 4-5 and March 11-12.
The journey through the Champions League continues with the quarter-finals lined up for April 8-9 and April 15-16. The semi-finals will follow closely on April 29-30 and May 6-7. The excitement reaches its pinnacle with the final showdown scheduled for May 31 at Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena, promising a thrilling climax to this prestigious tournament.
Leave a Reply