Champions League 2024/25: Knockout round, last 16 draw explained, league table seedings and who plays who next | Football News

Just one round of matches remains in the league phase of the Champions League, and even Arne Slot is wondering what the final ‘seedings’ and knockout phase will mean for each team next.

After Liverpool’s 2-1 victory over Lille, Reds head coach Slot, whose side top the table, said “we still don’t know yet” if it is an advantage for clubs to end as first or second seed (where his side will end) or simply finish in the top eight.

The higher a team finishes in the league table, the higher they are ‘seeded’, and that should – based on league performance – determine an easier path to the final.

But with a number of European heavyweights low in the standings, the new format means they could still be formidable opponents for a side that finishes higher up the table.

We are here to answer all the questions you may have about the league table, seedings, and how the knockout phase works…

Why does finishing higher in the Champions League league table matter?

Overall, there are two paths to the knockout phase from the league phase:

1. Finish in the top eight and go straight through to the round of 16
2. Finish from ninth to 24th and go through to a two-legged knockout play-off

Teams who finish from 25th-36th are eliminated and unlike previous seasons, no team will drop into the Europa League.

But within those paths, the higher a team finishes within each of the groups that qualify, the better their route to the later stages of the tournament will be.

For example:

If a team finishes first or second, they will skip the knockout play-offs and play one of the winners of the matches between the 17th/18th and 15th/16th seeds in the round of 16.

If a team finishes seventh or eighth, they will skip the knockout play-offs and play one of the winners of the matches between the ninth/10th and 23rd/24th seeds in the round of 16.

If a team finishes 15th or 16th, they will play either the 17th or 18th seed in the knockout play-offs, followed by the first or second seed in the round of 16.

If a team finishes 21st or 22nd, they will play either the 11th or 12th seed in the knockout play-offs, followed by the fifth or sixth seed in the round of 16.

Essentially the higher a team places, the better chance they have of avoiding another higher seed early in the knockout phase.

Wait, so Liverpool finishing first or second doesn’t make a difference?

Not significantly. With teams grouped in this way, both first and second will be seeded and then drawn against teams that have finished 15th-18th and progress from their play-off. Both first and second will get to play the second leg of that last-16 tie at home.

But if Liverpool finish first or second, why don’t they play the worst team (23rd or 24th)?

In theory, Liverpool (and likely Barcelona) will play the worst teams in the competition when they re-enter it. The seeding system is designed so a higher seed will get an easier run to the final.

If the knockout play-off games go as planned, the higher-seeded teams will win their games – therefore, the teams ranked ninth to 16th will make it through to the last 16, and the teams ranked 17th to 24th will be knocked out. In that case, Liverpool would indeed play one of the two worst teams remaining.

Additionally, the pathway is as much about avoiding the higher seeds as it is about playing against the lower ones. By finishing in the top two, Liverpool will avoid any team seeded higher than 15th in the round of 16, any team higher than seventh in the quarter-final, and cannot play the other top-seeded team until the final.

Is there a draw for the Champions League knockout round? When is it?

There will be two draws after the league phase.

The first draw on Friday January 31 at 11am will determine which of the two options each team will get in the knockout play-off. For example, a team finishing 13th will find out whether they are playing against the team finishing 19th or 20th.

Seeded teams (ninth-16th) will have the second leg at home and those play-off round matches take place on February 11/12 and February 18/19.

Teams seeded from first to eighth will have to wait until Friday February 21 to find out their opponents.

That draw will then determine who they face in the round of 16, and ultimately map out their full path to the final.

Can teams from the same country face each other in the knockout playoffs?

Yes. Unlike previous years in which they were kept apart in the first draw, teams can face others from the same country – and other teams who they already played in the league phase – in the knockout play-offs and beyond.

I’m a fan of a British club – who will we play next and what do we need in the final week?

There may be some confusion over what this means for your team, so as it stands, let’s take a look at what the path for the British teams looks like right now and what they each need to finish as high as possible in the final standings…

Liverpool (Current seed: 1st)

Knockout play-offs: N/A

Round of 16: vs Bayern Munich (15th), Real Madrid (16th), Juventus (17th) or Celtic (18th)

What Liverpool need in the final week: Technically nothing as they are secured a top-two seed. However, a point against PSV (or bettering Barcelona’s result) will mean they top the league-phase table.

Arsenal (Current seed: 3rd)

Knockout play-offs: N/A

Round of 16: vs Brest (13th), Dortmund (14th), PSV (19th) or Club Brugge (20th)

What Arsenal need in the final week: They are all but certain to finish in the top eight, as the teams below them would need to significantly better their result to move above them. A point against Girona secures a top-eight place and a win keeps them as a third or fourth seed.

Aston Villa (Current seed: 9th)

Knockout play-offs: vs Sporting (23rd) or Stuttgart (24th)

Round of 16: vs Atalanta (7th) or Leverkusen (8th)

What Aston Villa need in the final week: They have secured a spot in the knockout play-offs. To move into the top eight, they need a win against Celtic combined with a loss by either Atletico Madrid, Milan, Atalanta or Bayer Leverkusen – but also need to maintain their better goal difference than the four teams directly below them. They can technically get in with a draw but would need a miracle with several other results to go their way!

Celtic (Current seed: 18th)

Knockout playoffs: vs Bayern Munich (15th) or Real Madrid (16th)

Round of 16: vs Liverpool (1st) or Barcelona (2nd)

What Celtic need in the final week: They have secured a spot in the knockout play-offs and are still fighting for a higher seeding. They can technically reach the top eight but would need to beat Aston Villa and have a large number of other results go their way.

Manchester City (Current seed: 25th)

As it stands, Manchester City would be eliminated from European football.

What Manchester City need in the final week: They will secure a knockout play-off spot by beating Club Brugge – who need a point to secure a place of their own. A draw will not be enough for Man City to go through.

How much could the table change in the last week?

A lot! On Tuesday night last week, Julian Alvarez’s 90th-minute winner moved Atletico Madrid from 11th to third in the table in a matter of seconds.

With just one game to go, just three points separate the teams in eighth (Leverkusen, 13 points) and 24th (Stuttgart, 10 points)!

Plenty of movement will happen, and to add to the drama, every single match on the final matchday is being played at the same time – 8pm kick-off on Wednesday January 29.

Will there be any ‘dead rubbers’ in the final week?

Only two!

Ahead of the final matchday, nine teams have been mathematically eliminated – Bologna, Sparta Prague, RB Leipzig, Girona, Red Star Belgrade, Sturm Graz, RB Salzburg, Slovan Bratislava and Young Boys.

Red Star Belgrade face Young Boys on the final day, while Sturm Graz play RB Leipzig in matches that will not affect the final seedings, but every other team is involved in a meaningful game.

When are the 2024/25 Champions League knockout fixtures?

• Knockout round play-offs: February 11/12 and February 18/19, 2025
• Round of 16: March 4/5 and March 11/12, 2025
• Quarter-finals: April 8/9 and April 15/16, 2025
• Semi-finals: April 29/30 and May 6/7, 2025
• Final: May 31, 2025