Champions League knockout stages explained: Why Man City have landed a nightmare play-off against Bayern Munich or Real Madrid
The new-look league phase of the Champions League drew to a conclusion on Wednesday night with 18 matches taking place simultaneously in a blockbuster evening of action.
Liverpool finished top of the 36-team table after earning seven wins and suffering just one defeat from their eight matches.
Arne Slot’s side were joined by Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille and Aston Villa in finishing in the top eight of the competition. The top eight sides secured automatic passage through to the round of 16, which is scheduled to take place at the start of March.
Manchester City emerged as one of the most relieved sides on Wednesday, with Pep Guardiola’s side avoiding becoming one of 12 sides eliminated by coming from behind to earn a 3-1 win over Club Brugge.
The 2023 Champions League winners advanced through to the knock-out stages by finishing 22nd in the table, but now face a nightmare path if they are to win the tournament for the second time.
Mail Sport explains how the knock-out stage is set to shape up ahead of the draw taking place on Friday.
Man City boss Pep Guardiola is facing a daunting play-off in the Champions League
The Premier League champions will have to face either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich
How does the new knock-out stage work?
When revamping the format by scrapping the group stages in favour of single league phase, UEFA also needed to tweak the knock-out stages of the tournament.
While eight teams automatically booked spots in the last-16, the teams ranked between ninth and 24th need to compete in an additional play-off round to seal their places.
UEFA last year opted to adopt a tennis-style seeding for the knockout stages – after the governing body worked out it would take ‘three or four hours’ to stage the draw manually under the competition’s new format.
UEFA estimated the Champions League draw alone could last ‘three or four hours’ and feature around 900 balls had it been conducted in the same style as before.
Where teams finished in the table ultimately formed the competition bracket, with teams earning seedings for the knock-out stage based on their position.
Teams have been paired together, with Liverpool and Barcelona earning the top two seedings after finishing first and second. It means the only way the teams can meet in the competition this year is if they both advance to the final in Munich.
Similarly they can only face Arsenal and Inter Milan – who finished third and fourth respectively – at the semi-final stage.
The top eight sides, having earned a seeding, will be drawn against the winners of the play-off round ties in the last-16.
Manchester City are unseeded in the play-off draw and have been paired with Celtic
UEFA have confirmed the seedings for the play-off draw based on teams’ league positions
Why do Man City face a nightmare path through?
Man City’s lowly 22nd place finish in the table, while being enough to make the knock-out stage, has left Guardiola’s side being viewed as an ‘unseeded’ team.
The Citizens have been paired in the draw with Celtic, with the Scottish champions having finished in 21st position.
They will be drawn against either the side placed 11th or 12th in the table, which has turned out to be fellow European giants Real Madrid, the current holders, and Bayern Munich.
Man City will have to wait to see on Friday which of the heavyweights they will be drawn against in a two-legged play-off to battle through to reach the last-16 of the competition.
UEFA have confirmed the draw will start with the unseeded teams being placed in the bracket, starting with the sides ranked 23/24 and finishing with those in 17/18.
One ball will be opened to display the team which will see them place on the ‘silver’ side of the bracket, as dubbed by UEFA.
Their paired team will be automatically placed on the other side of the draw in the ‘blue’ side of the bracket.
After the unseeded teams are placed, the seeded teams will then been drawn to their reserved spots to determine the draws.
UEFA have revealed the bracket for the tournament, based on a tennis-style seeding system
Arne Slot’s Liverpool could face PSG, Benfica, Monaco or Brest in the round of 16
The draw will finish when the teams ranked 9/10 are placed for the knockout round play-offs, in this case Atalanta and Borussia Dortmund.
The seeded team will, in principle, play the return leg at home.
The play-off round first legs will take place on February 11 to 12, with the return fixtures held on February 18 and 19.
How would the last-16 look for Premier League sides?
Having been confirmed as one of top two seeds in the competition, along with Barcelona, Liverpool know they will face either Monaco, Brest, PSG and Benfica in the round of 16.
Arsenal ended the league phase in third place and will be paired with Inter Milan in the draw, who placed fourth.
The Gunners will face one of AC Milan, Juventus, PSV or Feyenoord in the last-16 in March.
Having clinched the final automatic spot in the last-16 by ending in eighth, Aston Villa could line-up against Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund, Sporting Lisbon and Bruges.
Should Man City advance through their play-off round against Bayern Munich or Real Madrid, Guardiola’s side would be in line to meet either Bayer Leverkusen or Atletico Madrid.
