The Champions League group stages are over and we’ve got a much better idea of who will play who in the knockout stages. Who will the English sides and Celtic face?
Pep Guardiola faces a possible return to Bayern Munich in the qualifiers after his appearance of Manchester City beat the Brugge club to continue his campaign of the Champions League.
But City will face a tough test to reach the last 16 with City and Celtic facing either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid for a chance to play Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen after that in the last 16.
“Real Madrid or Bayern Munich: one is the king of the competition, the other is the time or third king of the competition,” Guardiola said after the possible festivities in the city war were revealed.
Aston Villa snuck into the top eight by the skin of their teeth after Atalanta failed to beat Barcelona and dropped into the play-offs, meaning Unai Emery’s side will face one of Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund, Sporting or Club Brugge in the last 16.
Arsenal and Liverpool already knew that their safe automatic progression.
Liverpool most sensitive to the general table and will now face one of the Saints-Germain of Paris, Benfica, Monaco or Brest.
Arsenal can face one of the two Giants of Serie A with AC Milan, PSV, Feyenoord or Juventus their imaginable war parties of the last 16 16.
The draw for the qualifiers of the Champions League will take position on Friday, January 31, around 11 a. m. and Irish.
Teams finishing between ninth and 16th in the league will be seeded for the play-off round.
They will face an unseeded team that finished between 17th and 24th in the table – with the seeded team also having the benefit of playing the second leg at home.
The sides will also be combined in the draw, which the two sides that ended ninth and 10 will be extracted on sides 23 or 24 placed.
Teams who finished 11th and 12th will be drawn against either the 21st or 22nd-placed sides, and so on.
The 8 playoffs playoffs will meet the groups that ended in the first 8 of the initial phase of the League last 16 16, where the family theme of the direct extraction towers will take position for the final.
Round of 16: vs PSG (15th), Benfica (16th), Monaco (17th) or Brest (18th).
ROUND OF 16: VS AC Milan (13th), PSV (14), Feyenoord (19) or Juventus (20).
Round of 16: vs Atalanta (ninth), Borussia Dortmund (10), Sporting (23) or Club Brugge (24).
Knockout qualifiers: Bayern Munich (11th) or Real Madrid (12th).
Round of 16: vs Atlético de Madrid (5th) or Bayer Leverkusen (6th).
Direct elimination qualifiers: Bayern Munich (11th) or Real Madrid (12th).
Round of 16: vs Atlético de Madrid (5th) or Bayer Leverkusen (6th).
We will know the precise format of the tournament beyond the qualifiers before February, when the last draw will be held.
But, there is one that can be two totally British quarter finals.
After completing the first and eighth, if Liverpool and Aston Villa win their last 16 games, they can compete in the last eight.
Similarly, one of the Celtic and Manchester City will establish a quarter of the quarterfinals with the Arsenal if they win their play-offs, then beat Atlético de Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen.
Confirmed in the round of 16 Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille, Aston Villa. Confirmed in the play-off stage, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, AC Milan, PSV, PSG, PSG, Benfica, Monaco, Brest, Feyenoord, Juventus, Celtic, Man City, Sporting, Club Brugge.
Eliminated
Dinamo Zagreb, Stuttgart, Shakhtar Donetsk, Bologna, Crvena Zvezda, Sturm Graz, Sparta Prague, RB Leipzig, Girona, RB Salzburg, Slovan Bratislava, Boys.