Champions League Knockout Rounds: Bracket, Format, Fixtures

The round of 16 of the new look UEFA Champions League is underway on March 4th.

But how how to knit the knockout rounds together? And why were the last league phase positions so important?

This is how it all works.

Which clubs are in the round of 16?

The clubs that finished in the top eight went directly through to the 16th round.

The 16 teams that ended in positions nine to 24 went into the Knockout Playoff round, where eight went on to the round of 16.

Arsenal
Aston Villa
Atlético Madrid
Barcelona
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayern Munich (Ko-Po)
Benfica (Ko-Po)
Borussia Dortmund (Ko-Po)
Club Brugge (Ko-Po)
Feyenoord Rotterdam (Ko-Po)
Internazional
Small
Liverpool
Paris Saint-Germain (Ko-Po)
PSV Eindhoven (Ko-Po)
Real Madrid (Ko-Po)

Clubs that ended 25 to 36. had already been removed.

What was the round with 16 draw?

The grafted teams to the right will be at home in the second stage.

Paris Saint-Germain vs. Liverpool

Club Brugge vs. Aston Villa

Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid

PSV Eindhoven vs. Arsenal

Benfica vs. Barcelona

Borussia Dortmund vs. Small

Bayern Munich against Bayer Leverkusen

Feyenoord vs. Inter Milan

What is the round of 16 luminaire dates?

First Ben: March 4-5
Other legs: 11-12. March

Each club plays once on a Tuesday and once on a Wednesday.

How does the bracket work?

From this season there is no draw to create the quarterfinals and semi -final fixtures. It has all been set by the final league positions (see more below) plus the limited features to place teams in the bracket.

This means that each team now knows their opportunity opponents – and who they cannot come against – right to the final.

The top half of Knockout Playoff Round Bracket looks stronger with Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, PSG and Real Madrid in it.

Arsenal would play the winners of Madrid Derby in the quarterfinals,

The bottom half of paper appears to be much weaker with Barcelona the prominent team.

So there is no national protection?

Correct. Clubs from the same country can play each other from the Knockout Playoff round and in the future. That’s why we have a Madrid -Derby in the 16th round.

What dates are the other rounds?

Quarterfinals
First Ben: April 8-9
Other legs: 15.-16. April

Semi -final
First Ben: 29-30. April
Other legs: May 6-7

Finally
31 May, Allianz Arena, Munich

Who comes home advantage in the quarterfinals and the semi -finals?

The tie that was listed first plays at home in the first leg.

Quarterfinals

Paris Saint-Germain or Liverpool vs. Club Brugge or Aston Villa

PSV Eindhoven or Arsenal vs. Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid

Benfica or Barcelona against Borussia Dortmund or small

Bayern Munich or Bayer Leverkusen vs. Feyenoord or Inter Milan

Semi -final

PSV Eindhoven / Arsenal / Real Madrid / Athletico Madrid against Paris Saint-Germain / Liverpool / Club Brugge / Aston Villa

Benfica / Barcelona / Borussia Dortmund / Lille vs. Bayern Munich / Bayer Leverkusen / Feyenoord / Inter Milan

Why did it do something where you finished in the table?

The league locations created the knockout bracket and the new “grafting” system means that the highest placed teams cannot meet each other until the latter stages of the knockout round.

For example, if we look at the final table, Liverpool and Barcelona ended first and second and can’t play each other before the final. The teams in the third and fourth – Arsenal and Internazional – cannot play Liverpool or Barcelona before the semi -finals.

However, the value of being placed high in the table has been complicated by bad European seasons for Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, who unexpectedly became possible opponents earlier in the knockout rounds.

In fact, with Man City, which ended 22., it created a heavyweight tie in knockout playoffs when they had to meet 11th place Read Madrid.

PSG, meanwhile, has to get up against either Liverpool in the 16th round.