Defending champions Actual Madrid face the crew they changed as holders, Man Metropolis, following the draw for the playoff stage of the Champions League in Switzerland.
Spanish giants Actual Madrid have been drawn in opposition to English champions Manchester Metropolis, pitting the final two winners of the Champions League in opposition to one another in a blockbuster two-leg playoff following the draw for the following spherical.
The defending champions from Spain struggled of their early phases of this season’s competitors ending in eleventh after Wednesday’s 3-1 win at Brest. Metropolis, who beat Inter Milan within the closing the 12 months earlier than, needed to come from behind to beat Membership Brugge on the ultimate day of the League Part to safe their passage to the knockouts in twenty second place.
Groups that completed ninth to Twenty fourth are competing within the playoffs to advance to the final 16. The draw, which was made in Nyon, Switzerland, on Friday, begins the knockout part of the competitors. The perimeters of the draw have been already pre-determined for all of the groups nonetheless within the event following Wednesday’s completion of the 36-team desk, which was topped by Liverpool with Barcelona in second spot.
The knockout part play-offs are set ✅#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/9KWMSgQWoD
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 31, 2025
The pairings for the final 16, the stage that follows the playoffs, pits Premier League leaders Liverpool and Barca, who’re at present third within the Spanish prime flight, on the identical facet of the draw because the winners of the ties between the all-French contest between Brest vs Paris Saint-Germain, and Monaco vs Benfica.
Bayern Munich have been the opposite crew that Manchester Metropolis may have been drawn in opposition to, however the German champions now face Celtic within the subsequent spherical. They continue to be in the identical pairing with Metropolis and Actual Madrid, although, and Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen await the winners of these ties.
Al Jazeera has damaged down the important thing data for the rest of the competitors with the attract full for the playoffs in addition to a have a look at the important thing dates.
The Champions League Playoff attract full:
- Membership Brugge (Belgium) vs Atalanta (Italy)
- Sporting Lisbon (Portugal) vs Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
- Manchester Metropolis (England) vs Actual Madrid (Spain)
- Celtic (Scotland) vs Bayern Munich (Germany)
- Juventus (Italy) vs PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)
- Feyenoord (Netherlands) vs AC Milan (Italy)
- Brest (France) vs Paris Saint-Germain (France)
- Monaco (France) vs Benfica (Portugal)
Do the seeded groups have any benefit?
The groups that completed ninth to sixteenth within the League Part of the Champions League shall be away from residence for the primary leg of their playoffs, that means they’ve residence benefit for the return leg.
The street to Munich mapped out 🏆#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/BbVxl80dhD
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 31, 2025
Who have been the seeded groups?
Seeded pairings: Atalanta & Borussia Dortmund, Actual Madrid & Bayern Munich, AC Milan & PSV, Paris Saint-Germain & Benfica.
Unseeded pairings: Monaco & Brest, Feyenoord & Juventus, Celtic & Manchester Metropolis, Sporting & Membership Brugge.
How do the knockout phases work?
The playoffs comprise the groups that completed 9-Twenty fourth, with 4 seeded pairs and 4 unseeded pairs. This kinds the trail to the final 16 after which by means of to the ultimate itself.
What are the dates for the remaining phases?
Knockout spherical playoff: February 11-12 and 18-19, 2025
Spherical of 16: March 4-5 and 11-12, 2025
Quarterfinals: April 8-9 and 15-16, 2025
Semifinals: April 29-30 and Could 6-7, 2025
Ultimate: Could 31, 2025
On the street to Munich 🏆#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/jarRxWHuMv
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 31, 2025
What are the important thing dates for the playoff matches?
Now we have to attend for the ties to now be damaged down by UEFA throughout the obtainable slots in February and March.
The place will the Champions League closing be held?
The 67,000-capacity Munich Soccer Area, residence of German Bundesliga membership Bayern Munich, will host the ultimate in Could.
What’s the Champions League prize cash?
The monetary rewards within the Champions League are better than earlier than, with the entire pot rising by about 25 p.c to virtually 2.5 billion euros ($2.6bn).
The winners can pocket greater than 86 million euros ($89m) in prize cash.
