UEFA Champions League knockout round: teams, fixtures, bracket

The revamped Champions League is entering its final phase. With six of the eight rounds in the new league phase complete, a knockout stage full of surprises is taking shape.

Defending champions Real Madrid currently sit outside the top eight teams that qualify directly for the next round. This does not mean elimination, but rather that they will have to compete in the round of 32, adding an extra hurdle.

Surprisingly, some of the most dominant teams in football over the past five years, such as Manchester City, Atlético Madrid, Bayern Munich, Milan, PSG, Borussia Dortmund, and Juventus, are also facing similar challenges.

Meanwhile, Atalanta, Benfica, Monaco, Sporting CP, Feyenoord, Club Brugge, PSV Eindhoven, and Dinamo Zagreb complete the group of teams ranked 9th to 24th, who would currently compete in the playoff round.

This round will not feature the traditional pure draw between the first- and second-seeded teams. As shown in the infographic, each team is limited to just two possible opponents. For example, the ninth- and tenth-seeded teams can only face the twenty-third or twenty-fourth seeds, and so on for all positions.

From this point forward, there will be no random draws; the matchups will follow a guided table. In the round of 16, however, teams will again be drawn, with matchups determined by each team’s position in the standings.

It’s important to note that in both the round of 32 and the round of 16, the higher-seeded team will have home advantage. However, from the quarterfinals onward, home advantage will be determined by a draw. Based on the current standings, here are the potential matchups for the round of 32:

In this scenario, Real Madrid could face one of two Italian teams: Atalanta, whom they already defeated on matchday 6, or Juventus, with the second leg to be played away from the Santiago Bernabéu. Meanwhile, Atlético de Madrid would be matched against either Celtic or Manchester City, with the return leg played at home.

These matchups will also shape the round of 16, as the winners of these ties will go on to face the top eight teams from the league phase. Each of the top eight teams will know their opponents once the round of 32 concludes.

What could the potential Champions League round of 16 matchups look like?

If Real Madrid win their round of 32 tie (against either Atalanta or Juventus), they would face Arsenal or Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16. Similarly, if Atlético de Madrid advance (past either Celtic or Manchester City), they would meet Aston Villa or Inter, with the second leg played away from home.

Finally, Barça, the other Spanish team and the only one in the Top-8, would face one of the two winners of the knockout stages, which would face Benfica or Monaco and Sporting or Feyenoord. Girona, in 30th position, is virtually eliminated.

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