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Matchday 8 of the league phase will determine the next chapter of the UEFA Champions League as the new format completely changed from previous seasons. While only Liverpool and FC Barcelona secured their spots for the Round of 16 phase, Manchester City and PSG are fighting to end up in the top 24 and might risk being eliminated on Wednesday, when all the 16 games will be played at 3:00 p.m. ET.  You can catch all the coverage across Paramount+CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network.

What has changed?

In the past, 16 teams had access to the Round of 16 after the group stages. With the new format, 24 sides will qualify for the knockout phase, and the playoffs will eliminate eight teams. The winning teams will face the teams that qualified directly in the league phase, while the others are eliminated from the competition. The draw will take place on Friday, January 31, at 6 a.m. ET. 

From the knockout phase onwards the tournament is a bracket. The teams that finish the league phase between ninth and 16th will be seeded for the first draw for the knockout phase, and will face a team placed 17th to 24th. The seeded team will play the return leg at home. Opponents are pre-defined by the final standing of the league phase. Teams ending up ninth and tenth will face the sides that ended 23rd or 24th, for example. 

When do the knockout phase playoff games take place?

The knockout phase play-offs are played over the course of two weeks:

  • First legs: 11-12 February 2025
  • Second legs: 18-19 February 2025

Key dates

  • Round of 16: 4-5 and 11-12 March 2025
  • Quarter finals: 8-9 and 15-16 April 2025
  • Semifinals: 29-30 April and 6-7 May 2025
  • Final: 31 May 2025

Who has qualified?

Directly to round of 16: Liverpool, Barcelona

Round of 16 or knockout round playoffs: Atletico Madrid, Atalanta, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Bayern Munich, Brest, Celtic, Dortmund, Feyenoord, Inter Milan, Juventus, Leverkusen, Lille, Milan, Monaco, Real Madrid

On the brink (Nine clubs fighting for six remaining playoff spots): PSV, Club Brugge, Benfica, PSG, Sporting, Stuttgart

Outside looking in: Manchester City (8 PTS; +2 GD), Dinamo (8 PTS; -8 GD), Shakhtar (7 PTS; -6 GD)

Eliminated: Bologna, Girona, RB Leipzig, Red Star Belgrade, Slovan Bratislava, Sparta Prague, Sturm Graz, Young Boys, Salzburg

Standings

Key: Positions 1-8 qualify for Round of 16 while positions 9-24 qualify for Knockout Phase Play-Offs and positions 25-36 are eliminated.

PosTeamGPWDLGFGAGDPTS
1Liverpool7700152+1321
2Barcelona76012611+1518
3Arsenal7511142+1216
4Inter751181+716
5Atletico Madrid75021611+515
6AC Milan7502139+415
7Atalanta7421184+1414
8Bayer Leverkusen7412137+613
9Aston Villa741294+513
10AS Monaco74121310+313
11Feyenoord74121715+213
12Lille7412119+213
13Brest7412108+213
14Borussia Dortmund7403191+812
15Bayern Munich74031711+612
16Real Madrid74031712+512
17Juventus733195+412
18Celtic73311110+112
19PSV73311110+112
20Club Brugge732268-211
21Benfica73131412+210
22PSG7313108+210
23Sporting CP73131211+110
24Stuttgart73131213-110
25Manchester City72231513+28
26Dinamo Zagreb 72231018-88
27Shakhtar Donetsk7214713-67
28Bologna712438-55
29Sparta Prague7115719-124
30RB Leipzig 7106814-63
31Girona7106411-73
32Crvena Zvezda71061222-103
33Sturm Graz 7106414-103
34RB Salzburg7106423-193
35Slovan Bratislava7007624-180
36Young Boys7007323-200