The draw for the Champions League play-offs takes place with Manchester City and Celtic set to face either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich for a chance to reach the knockout stage.
Liverpool, Arsenal and Aston Villa are already through after claiming one of the top-eight spots in the inaugural league phase, but they will have to wait for next month’s last-16 draw for the knockout bracket to be fully set.
Premier League champions City scraped through by beating Club Brugge and, as the 22nd seeds, know they will face a true European heavyweight in the next round. Madrid and Bayern both failed to finish in the top-eight as well and one of them is guaranteed to face Pep Guardiola’s side, with the other playing Celtic.
Liverpool finished top of the league standings and will face one of Paris Saint-Germain, Benfica, Monaco or Brest, while Arsenal know one of AC Milan, PSV Feyenoord or Juventus awaits them. Aston Villa, the eighth seeds, can prepare for one of Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund, Sporting or Club Brugge.
This morning’s draw in Nyon will determine the play-offs and you can follow all the updates in the live blog below. The Europa League draw will follow at around 12pm GMT.
Champions League draw LIVE: Play-off fixtures revealed
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Champions League play-off draw takes place from 11am GMT
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Man City or Celtic to face Bayern Munich or Real Madrid
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Liverpool, Arsenal and Aston Villa all through to last-16
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But top seeds know who they could face in next round
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Europa League draw follows from 12pm GMT
Champions League draw
11:24 , Jamie Braidwood
Manchester City vs Real Madrid
Celtic vs Bayern Munich
Champions League draw
11:23 , Jamie Braidwood
PSV vs Juventus
AC Milan vs Feyenoord
Champions League draw
11:22 , Jamie Braidwood
Brest vs PSG
Monaco vs Benfica
Champions League draw LIVE
11:22 , Jamie Braidwood
These clubs will be on the left side of the bracket (I think this only becomes important next month when the rest of the knockout stage draw is made):
Club Brugge vs Atalanta/Borussia Dortmund
Manchester City vs Real Madrid/Bayern Munich
Juventus vs AC Milan/PSV
Brest vs PSG/Benfica
These clubs will be on the right:
Sporting vs Atalanta/Borussia Dortmund
Celtic vs Real Madrid/Bayern Munich
Feyenoord vs AC Milan/PSV
Monaco vs PSG/Benfica
Champions League draw LIVE
11:17 , Jamie Braidwood
We start by drawing the seeded teams (9th to 16th, including Real Madrid) into the bracket, that will be followed by drawing the unseeded teams (17th to 24th, including Man City and Celtic) into the available slots, by pairing.
Champions League draw LIVE
11:15 , Jamie Braidwood
Basically… we’re about to find out:
9th/10th to play 23rd/24th – Atalanta/Borussia Dortmund to play Sporting/Club Brugge
11th/12th to play 21st/22nd – Real Madrid/Bayern Munich to play Celtic/Manchester City
13th/14th to play 19th/20th – AC Milan/PSV to play Feyenoord/Juventus
15th/16th to play 17th/18th – PSG/Benfica to play Monaco/Brest
Champions League draw LIVE
11:13 , Jamie Braidwood
Thiago says he’s been impressed with Atalanta and Monaco so far in the Champions League, as well as Leverkusen, Lille and Aston Villa.
A quick look at today’s draw procedure and then we’ll be on our way.
Champions League draw LIVE
11:10 , Jamie Braidwood
As a reminder, the complete Champions League knockout bracket will not be complete until next month, because we love draws!
Thiago Alcantara, the Barcelona, Bayern, Liverpool and Spain magician, will help out with today’s draw. What a footballer.
Champions League draw LIVE
11:08 , Jamie Braidwood
Here comes the king of the Uefa draw, Giorgio Marchetti. We can’t be far away now from the balls being put into the pots.
Champions League draw LIVE
11:05 , Jamie Braidwood
The draw ceremony begins with a recap of Wednesday’s Champions League finale. There were goals aplenty, but the 18-game super matchday was not to everyone’s liking. Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain faced some drama, but both went through comfortably in the end.
Champions League draw LIVE
11:01 , Jamie Braidwood
Here we go! Uefa have thrown open the doors of the ‘House of European Football’ in Nyon and now the knockout phase play-off draw will commence…
… after some considerable preamble.
Champions League play-off ties
10:55 , Jamie Braidwood
The Champions League play-offs take place across 11/12 and 18/19 February. Here’s a full list of the potential play-off ties, to be drawn on shortly:
9th/10th to play 23rd/24th – Atalanta/Borussia Dortmund to play Sporting/Club Brugge
11th/12th to play 21st/22nd – Real Madrid/Bayern Munich to play Celtic/Manchester City
13th/14th to play 19th/20th – AC Milan/PSV to play Feyenoord/Juventus
15th/16th to play 17th/18th – PSG/Benfica to play Monaco/Brest
Potential opponents for seeded English teams in last-16
10:45 , Jamie Braidwood
Liverpool (1st)
15th: PSG
16th: Benfica
17th: Monaco
18th: Brest
Arsenal (3rd)
13th: AC Milan
14th: PSV
19th: Feyenoord
20th: Juventus
Aston Villa (8th)
9th: Atalanta
10th: Borussia Dortmund
23th: Sporting CP
24th: Club Brugge
Did the much-hyped Champions League group stage finale work
10:30 , Jamie Braidwood
36 teams? Playing 18 matches? All at once? There were goals galore on Wednesday night as the Champions League finale played out, but Miguel Delaney thought the new format gave the richest clubs exactly what they wanted.
Why the much-hyped Champions League group stage finale simply didn’t work
Manchester City averted disaster but their obvious frailties are a cause for concern
10:15 , Jamie Braidwood
A manager defined by finishing first may never be so relieved to come 22nd. Pep Guardiola was 45 minutes from abject humiliation. Twenty months after winning the Champions League, Manchester City were on course to be cast out of it. Embarrassment was on the agenda.
It was averted. By character, by the resolve of a veteran and the skill of a rookie.
Man City averted disaster but their frailties are a cause for concern
Champions League knockout stages begins to take shape
10:02 , Jamie Braidwood
7th/8th to play 9th/10th/23rd/24th – Lille/Aston Villa to play Atalanta/Borussia Dortmund/Sporting/Club Brugge
5th/6th to play 11th/12th/21st/22nd – Atletico Madrid/Bayer Leverkusen to play Real Madrid/Bayern Munich/Celtic/Manchester City
3rd/4th to play 13th/14th/19th/20th – Arsenal/Inter Milan to play AC Milan/PSV/Feyenoord/Juventus
1st/2nd to play 15th/16th/17th/18th – Liverpool/Barcelona to play PSG/Benfica/Monaco/Brest
Why Celtic fans face Champions League ban ahead of Real Madrid or Bayern Munich tie
09:55 , Jamie Braidwood
Celtic fans could be banned from attending their blockbuster Champions League tie against European giants Real Madrid or Bayern Munich after letting off fireworks during the defeat at Aston Villa on Wednesday.
The Scottish club were hit with a one-match suspended ban on issuing away tickets for Champions League games as well as an immediate €20,000 fine after supporters lit pyrotechnics during the 7-1 defeat at Borussia Dortmund earlier in the campaign.
Uefa warned Celtic that supporters would be banned if there was a repeat of the incident within the next two years, and European football’s governing body may decide to take action after a green smoke bomb was thrown onto the pitch at Villa Park in the league phase finale.
Why Celtic fans face Champions League ban ahead of Real Madrid or Bayern Munich tie
The four clubs Aston Villa could draw in Champions League last-16
09:40 , Jamie Braidwood
Aston Villa have already enjoyed a memorable return to the European stage and now Unai Emery’s side are awaiting their fate after reaching the knockout stages of the Champions League.
The 1982 European champions marked their return to the continent’s top club competition by beating Bayern Munich at Villa Park, while there were impressive wins over Bologna and RB Leipzig too.
Defeats on the road to Club Brugge and Monaco suggests that Villa will have to improve when the knockout stages get underway, with some suggestions that Emery’s side have gone off the boil since the early stages of the season.
But Emery has an impressive knockout record in European football, even if the majority of his wins across two-legged ties during spells at Villarreal and Sevilla have come in the Europa League.
It means Villa are set to be one of the teams to watch after they managed to sneak into the top eight and advance directly to the last 16 by beating Celtic 4-2 in a Villa Park thriller on the final day of the group stage.
Confirmed: The 4 clubs Aston Villa could draw in Champions League last-16
The four clubs Arsenal could draw in Champions League last-16
09:25 , Jamie Braidwood
Arsenal did not always enjoy the easiest of Champions League campaigns but Mikel Arteta’s side are safely through to the last 16 as one of the top eight seeds.
The Gunners required heroics from David Raya to earn a 0-0 draw in Atalanta before slipping to a 1-0 defeat to Inter Milan in the San Siro early on in the league phase.
But Arsenal’s excellent home form – with wins over Paris Saint-Germain, Shakhtar Donetsk, Monaco and Dinamo Zagreb, to an aggregate score of 12-0 – ensured their safe passage to the last 16.
Arsenal’s secured third spot in the league standings by beating Girona away on the final day to ensure that they skip the play-off rounds, as Arteta’s side now await to find out who they could play in the last 16 in March.
The four clubs Arsenal could draw in Champions League last-16
Who Liverpool could draw in the Champions League last 16
09:10 , Jamie Braidwood
Liverpool await their fate in the Champions League draw after progressing to the last 16 as one of the top two seeds under Arne Slot.
The Reds romped to the top of the standings in what was a memorable inaugural league phase for the six-time European champions.
Slot’s side managed to replicate their domestic form and secured statement wins over Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan.
Liverpool also defeated Bologna, RB Leipzig, Girona and Lille to comfortably wrap up qualification before slipping to defeat to PSV with a much-changed team on the final day.
And now the Premier League leaders await to see who they will face in the last 16 in March, after earning a bye through the play-off rounds.
Who Liverpool could draw in the Champions League last 16
Celtic’s dangerous potential opponents in Champions League knockout play-offs revealed
08:55 , Jamie Braidwood
Celtic are through to the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time since 2013, with Brendan Rodgers’ side now awaiting their fate ahead of Friday’s play-off draw.
The 1967 European champions have benefitted from the new-look Champions League format and ensured their progression to the knockout rounds with a game to spare, despite a 7-1 hammering away to Borussia Dortmund early on.
The Glasgow side recovered, claiming valuable home wins over RB Leipzig and Young Boys while earning points on the road away to Atalanta and Dinamo Zagreb before losing a thriller to Aston Villa on the final matchday on Wednesday night.
And with a comfortable lead over rivals Rangers in the Scottish Premiership title race and the League Cup already secured, Celtic can start dreaming of knockout football returning to Parkhead for the first time since losing out to Juventus in February 2013.
Celtic’s dangerous potential opponents in Champions League knockouts revealed
Who Man City could draw in Champions League knockout play-offs
08:40 , Jamie Braidwood
It was a rollercoaster, but Manchester City are safely through to the knockout rounds of the Champions League after coming from behind to beat Club Brugge 3-1 on the final day of group-stage action.
Mateo Kovacic, an own goal and Savinho stopped City stunningly crashing out after Raphael Onyedika gave Brugge a lead on the stroke of half-time but Pep Guardiola’s side have to settle for the play-offs after finishing outside of the top eight of the league phase.
Improbable collapses to Sporting, Feyenoord and Paris Saint-Germain left the 2023 European champions in a precarious position going into the final round.
But City kept their nerve to beat Club Brugge and advance, although a difficult path through to the Munich finals now awaits them with two European giants as their potential opponents.
City will be unseeded for Friday’s play-off draw but the Premier League side may take that after facing the possibility of crashing out altogether.
Revealed: Nightmare clubs Man City could draw in Champions League knockout play-offs
Who is in the play-off draw?
08:25 , Jamie Braidwood
Atalanta, B. Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Benfica, Brest, Celtic, Club Brugge, Feyenoord, Juventus, Man City, Milan, Monaco, Paris, PSV, Real Madrid, Sporting CP
Who has qualified directly for the last 16?
08:10 , Jamie Braidwood
The clubs who finished in the top eight of the group stage qualified directly for the last 16. Those teams are:
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1st: Liverpool
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2nd: Barcelona
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3rd: Arsenal
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4th: Inter Milan
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5th: Atletico Madrid
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6th: Bayer Leverkusen
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7th: Lille
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8th: Aston Villa
How does the draw work?
08:02 , Jamie Braidwood
A great question.
The teams that finished between ninth and 16th in the league standings will be seeded for the play-offs draw, and they will each be drawn against an unseeded team that finished between 17th and 24th in the table.
The seeded team will have the slight advantage of playing the second leg at home.
Teams will also be paired together in the draw, so the two sides who finished ninth and 10th will be drawn against either the 23rd or 24th placed sides; the teams who finished 11th and 12th will be drawn against either the 21st or 22nd-placed sides, and so on.
The eight winners from the play-offs will meet the top eight from the league phase in the last 16, where straight knockout rounds will run all the way to the final.
When is the Champions League draw?
08:01 , Jamie Braidwood
The Champions League play-offs draw will take place on 31 January 2025. The draw will take place from 11am GMT.
The draw takes place at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland, and will be streamed live on UEFA.com.
Good morning
08:00 , Jamie Braidwood
The new Champions League format for 2025 will see the knockout play-off round in action for the first time in February, to decide which teams enter the last-16.
The top eight teams in the final Champions League league-phase table will automatically go through to the last 16. They will be joined by the winners from the play-offs; a set of eight two-legged ties between those clubs who finished between ninth and 24th in the league standings.
There are five British sides in the Champions League, with Liverpool, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Celtic all hoping to go far in the competition.
Read the full article here
