Champions League Final Pathway Emerges as Last 16 Teams Confirmed
- The path to the Champions League final is now clearer for Europe's elite after the final 16 teams were confirmed on Wednesday night
- With the knockout playoff round wrapped up, all potential Round of 16 matchups are set
- The stage is set for the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, as eight teams from the playoffs join the top eight from the league phase
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The Champions League playoffs wrapped up with massive results on Wednesday, February 20.
Eight teams have secured their spots in the next round, where they will face the top eight sides in the Round of 16.
Source: Getty Images
While the official draw is yet to take place, the tournament brackets already suggest the likely matchups.
What happened in the Playoffs?
The UCL Playoffs delivered some stunning upsets, with Italian giants AC Milan and Juventus eliminated by Dutch sides Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven, respectively.
PSG dominated Stade Brest with a staggering 10-0 aggregate win, while Real Madrid secured back-to-back victories over Man City.
Bayern Munich narrowly edged past Celtic, Benfica triumphed over AS Monaco in a tight contest, and Club Brugge and Borussia Dortmund also booked their spots in the Round of 16.
How the Champions League Last-16 draw works
The top eight clubs are paired based on their league phase rankings, forming four seeded pairs (1st & 2nd, 3rd & 4th, etc.).
Each pair is drawn into one of two positions to face a knockout play-off winner, as determined by the earlier draw, per Sky Sports.
The process starts with the lowest-ranked seeded teams and progresses to the highest, assigning each to a reserved spot on the bracket.
Source: Getty Images
UCL 2024-25 Round of 16 Fixtures: Who will face who?
The brackets are already confirmed and the teams are stacked among themselves for the Round of 16 fixtures.
Liverpool and Barcelona
Opponent: PSG (silver side) or Benfica (blue side)
LOSC Lille and Aston Villa
Opponent: Club Brugge (silver side) or Borussia Dortmund (blue side)
Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen
Opponent: Real Madrid (silver side) or Bayern Munich (blue side)
Arsenal and Inter Milan
Opponent: PSV Eindhoven (silver side) or Feyenoord (blue side)
If Arsenal are drawn against Feyenoord, PSV will automatically be drawn against Inter Milan.
When will the Champions League round of 16 draw take place?
The Champions League Round of 16 draw is set for Friday, February 21, beginning at 11 AM GMT.
When will the UCL Round of 16 matches played?
The two-legged UCL Round of 16 matches will be played on March 4/5 and March 11/12.
A draw will also determine the quarter-final and semi-final matchups, including which teams will host the first and second legs.
Mbappe makes history vs Man City
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Kylian Mbappe made history with a stunning hat-trick against Manchester City.
The 26-year-old reached a remarkable milestone, hitting 500 career goal contributions in record time.
His second strike in the 3-1 knockout victory cemented his status as the youngest player to achieve the feat, surpassing Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Source: AFP
