Champions League Draw 2025: Schedule for Knockout Phase Playoff Bracket Fixtures

The field for the Champions League knockout playoff round is set after Friday's draw.

This marks the first year of the new 36-club format in the league phase. The bottom 12 teams in the standings have been eliminated, with the top eight automatically advancing to the round of 16.

Friday's draw was to determine the matchups for the clubs that finished in spots nine through 24. Teams nine through 16 are seeded and face the teams in the 17-24 spots. The winners from the knockout playoff round will advance to the round of 16, where the top eight teams will be seeded.

Knockout Playoff Round Draw and Schedule (All Matches Feb. 11/12 and 18/19; start time TBD)

• No. 21 Celtic v. No. 12 Bayern München
• No. 17 Monaco v. No. 16 Benfica
• No. 18 Brest v. No. 15 Paris Saint-Germain
• No. 24 Club Brugge v. No. 9 Atalanta
• No. 23 Sporting CP v. No. 10 Borussia Dortmund
• No. 19 Feyenoord v. No. 13 Milan
• No. 20 Juventus v. No. 14 PSV
• No. 22 Manchester City v. No. 11 Real Madrid

Round of 16 Qualifiers

• Liverpool: 7-0-1 (21 points)
• Barcelona: 6-1-1 (19 points)
• Arsenal: 6-1-1 (19 points)
  
• Inter Milan: 6-0-2 (18 points)
• Atlético Madrid: 6-0-2 (18 points)
  
• Bayer Leverkusen: 5-1-2 (16 points)
  
• Lille: 5-1-2 (16 points)
• Aston Villa: 5-1-2 (16 points)

Full draw information via UEFA.com.

Liverpool ended group phase as the top team in the standings and arguably the favorite to win the Champions League title.

The Reds suffered their lone defeat in the first phase on Wednesday against PSV Eindhoven, but they were still able to hold on to the top spot because Barcelona settled for a tie against Atalanta.

Arne Slot's club has only lost three matches in all competitions this season. They've already passed several major tests, most notably a 2-0 victory over Real Madrid on Nov. 27.

The reigning Champions League champ, Real Madrid has endured some struggles so far with a 5-0-3 record to finish 11th in group play. The Whites will play a struggling Manchester City club in the knockout round.

This marks the fourth consecutive year that Real Madrid and Man City will meet in the knockout rounds. Carlos Ancelotti's club won two of the previous three, including a 4-3 victory on penalties at Etihad Stadium in the second leg of their quarterfinal matchup last year.

The winner of this year's matchup will advance to face either Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16.

Atalanta, the No. 9 seed, is the top-ranked team in the knockout phase and its first time advancing out of the group phase since the 2021-22 season. The club can tie its best-ever finish in Champions League play by reaching the round of 16.

When the knockout phase is complete after games on Feb. 18-19, UEFA will hold a draw to determine the round of 16 matchups and path to the final for the remaining clubs on Feb. 21.

The round of 16 will take place from March 4-12, followed by the quarterfinals (April 8-16) and semifinals (April 29-May 7). The 2025 Champions League Final will be held on May 31.