The Champions League knockout phase introduces a new play-off stage, shaking up the traditional format. Teams finishing 9th to 16th will battle those ranked 17th to 24th in a two-legged showdown. The winners advance to the round of 16, facing off against the group stage's top eight. Liverpool dominates, Barcelona makes a thrilling comeback, while Manchester City struggles. The draw for the knockout play-offs will see teams from the same country facing each other for the first time. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, and Europa League winners Atalanta are all considered strong contenders for the title.
The Champions League knockout phase is set to bring some exciting changes this year, with a new play-off stage added to the competition. Instead of going straight into the traditional round of 16, the teams that finished ninth to 16th in the group phase will face off against those that placed 17th to 24th in a two-legged play-off. The winners of these play-offs will then advance to the round of 16, where they will meet the top eight finishers from the group stage.
The competition will then proceed with its familiar format, featuring two-legged knockout ties leading up to the final on May 31. Liverpool has been dominant in the group phase, winning seven of their matches so far, while Barcelona secured their spot with a dramatic late comeback against Benfica. However, Manchester City, despite winning the tournament in 2023, has struggled in the group phase and faces the risk of missing out on advancing. Several teams, including Bologna, Crvena Zvezda, Girona, RB Leipzig, RB Salzburg, Slovan Bratislava, Sparta Praha, Sturm Graz, and Young Boys, have already been eliminated. The draw for the knockout play-offs will be based on pre-defined pairings based on final positions in the group phase. For example, the teams finishing 9th and 10th will face those that finished 23rd and 24th, and so on. Unlike previous years, teams from the same country can now face each other in the knockout play-offs and beyond. The bracket and seeding system are designed to give higher seeds an easier path to the final. Real Madrid, despite not being at their best, are always a threat on the big stage. Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, and Bayern Munich are also likely contenders. Atalanta, the reigning Europa League winners, could be a dark horse, with their impressive attacking trio of Lookman, De Ketelaere, and Retegui. The knockout phase play-offs begin on February 11th, with the final scheduled for May 31st.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE KNOCKOUT PHASE PLAY-OFFS LIVERPOOL BARCELONA MANCHESTER CITY DRAW REAL MADRID ATLETICO MADRID INTER MILAN BAYERN MUNICH ATALANTA
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