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Champions League draw: The full draw for the next round

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A detailed view of the UEFA Champions League trophy on stage during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Knockout Round Play-offs Draw at the UEFA Headquarters, The House of the European Football, on January 31, 2025, in Nyon, Switzerland.
Credit: Kristian Skeie - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images

The Champions League draw for the play-off rounds has been made – with some big ties ahead.

Not that Arsenal, Aston Villa and Liverpool had to worry, having qualified for the top Round of 16 already, as top-eight seeds, along with the likes of Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen, Inter Milan and Lille have also qualified.

Some love the new format, others are less convinced. Several of Europe's elite are perhaps in the latter camp, as they anxiously await the draw…

Champions League draw: How do the play-offs work?

Coach of Manchester City Pep Guardiola speaks to the media during the post-match press conference following the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD7 match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Manchester City at Parc des Princes stadium on January 22, 2025 in Paris, France.
Pep Guardiola faces a tough next round | Credit: Getty Images

Clubs are paired, according to where they finished in the table – and the higher you finished, the lower the opponent finished. For example, Atalanta and Borussia Dortmund finished 9th and 10th respectively – one of them gets draw against one of Sporting or Club Brugge, who finished 23rd and 24th respectively.

That means that Manchester City or Celtic, who finished 21st and 22nd respectively, will have to face either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, 11th and 12th respectively. Eesh.

Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid celebrates after scoring to give the side a 3-1 lead during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD6 match between Atalanta BC and Real Madrid C.F. at Stadio di Bergamo on December 10, 2024 in Bergamo, Italy.
City have drawn Real Madrid | Credit: Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images

A collection of four clubs then gets to face a pairing of the seeded top eight. For example, Liverpool or Barcelona will face Monaco, Brest, Paris Saint-Germain or Benfica in the next round.

With the draw made, here's who plays who…

Club seedings

Entering the round of 16, seeded:

  1. Liverpool

  2. Barcelona

  3. Arsenal

  4. Inter Milan

  5. Atletico Madrid

  6. Bayer Leverkusen

  7. Lille

  8. Aston Villa

Entering the play-offs, seeded:

  1. Atalanta

  2. Borussia Dortmund

  3. Real Madrid

  4. Bayern Munich

  5. Milan

  6. PSV

  7. Paris Saint-Germain

  8. Benfica

Entering the play-offs, unseeded:

  1. Monaco

  2. Brest

  3. Feyenoord

  4. Juventus

  5. Celtic

  6. Manchester City

  7. Sporting

  8. Club Brugge

The draw in full

Knockout phase play-offs

  • Brest v Paris Saint-Germain

  • Sporting v Borussia Dortmund

  • Manchester City v Real Madrid

  • Juventus v PSV

  • Feyenoord v Milan

  • Celtic v Bayern Munich

  • Club Brugge v Atalanta

  • Monaco v Benfica

Round of 16

  • Monaco, Brest, Paris Saint-Germain or Benfica v Liverpool

  • Monaco, Brest, Paris Saint-Germain or Benfica v Barcelona

  • Sporting, Club Brugge, Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund v Lille

  • Sporting, Club Brugge, Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund v Aston Villa

  • Feyenoord, Juventus, Milan or PSV v Arsenal

  • Feyenoord, Juventus, Milan or PSV v Inter Milan

  • Celtic, Manchester City, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich v Atletico Madrid

  • Celtic, Manchester City, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich v Bayer Leverkusen