UEFA Champions League Group Stage Concludes, Knockout Draw Set for Friday

Breaking Down the New Champions League Format and Knockout Phase Draw

UEFA closed an electric first-ever Champions League phase with 18 games on the board today. Today’s large number of games is part of the new format implemented by UEFA to improve the matches and reward the teams with better records with some rest.

We won’t lie; the new format can be somewhat confusing. Liverpool, Barcelone, Arsenal, Inter, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Leverkusen, Lille, and Aston Villa get an automatic pass to the round of 16 with top-eight finish.

The teams finishing 9th to 16th in the league phase will enter the draw as seeded teams, each set to face one of the unseeded opponents. With four possible matchups for each seeded squad, the suspense will end on Friday when the official pairings are revealed for the two-legged showdown.

The higher-seeded team will enjoy a home advantage for the second leg. Advancement to the Round of 16 hinges on the aggregate score across both matches—if tied, extra time and penalties will decide the fate of the contenders.

The draw for the knockout phase playoffs is scheduled for this Friday, January 31st. For now, you can check out a clip explaining the new format above and the bracket fixtures below.