On Friday, the UEFA Champions League held its draw for the knockout stage, officially setting the stage for Europe’s premier annual soccer competition.

During the event at UEFA’s headquarters in Switzerland, the matchups for the inaugural playoff phase were announced as part of a significant format overhaul that has expanded the tournament. The eight top teams from the group stage—including notable clubs like Liverpool, Arsenal, and Barcelona—will skip directly to the round of 16, while 16 other teams will compete for the chance to join them.

This season included a 36-team group stage, allowing 24 clubs to progress to the knockout rounds, up from the previous format which had 32 teams split into eight groups of four, with 16 advancing. Notably, the draw has produced matchups that could easily qualify as a final, with Manchester City facing off against Real Madrid due to their performances in the group stage.

Here’s what you need to know about the Champions League knockout round draw results for the playoff phase:

Champions League: Knockout Round Playoff Phase Draw Results and Matchups

On Friday morning, UEFA held the draw for the new playoff phase of the Champions League, effectively adding an extra round before the traditional knockout stage. The pairings were determined by the teams’ finishes in the group stage.

Here are the matchups from the Champions League knockout round playoff phase draw:

• Club Brugge vs. Atalanta
• Sporting CP vs. Borussia Dortmund
• Manchester City vs. Real Madrid
• Celtic vs. Bayern Munich
• Juventus vs. PSV Eindhoven
• Feyenoord vs. AC Milan
• Brest vs. Paris Saint-Germain
• AS Monaco vs. Benfica

Champions League: Teams Receiving a Bye to the Knockout Round

Under the new format established for this season’s Champions League, the eight top teams from the group stage receive direct entry into the round of 16, while the other 16 teams move to the playoff round. The knockout stage will kick off on March 4.

The teams receiving byes are:

• Liverpool
• Barcelona
• Arsenal
• Inter Milan
• Atlético Madrid
• Bayer Leverkusen
• Lille
• Aston Villa

How to Watch the Champions League: TV, Time, Streaming

The 2024-25 UEFA Champions League will resume in February, with playoff phase games beginning on Tuesday, February 11.

The matches will be available on CBS and its affiliated networks, including CBS Sports Network. Fans can also stream every game online via Paramount+, which will provide coverage for all the matches throughout the knockout stage.

Tune in to the Champions League on Paramount+