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The first knockout stage of the Champions League is nearing its conclusion, setting the stage for the eagerly anticipated last-16 draw.
When is the Champions League last-16 draw?
Scheduled for Friday, February 21, the draw will begin at 11am. Fans can follow the proceedings live on Sky Sports digital channels.
The initial eight teams to qualify for the last 16 are those that completed the league phase on top of the standings. These teams include Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille, and Aston Villa.
They will be paired with eight teams that emerge victorious from the knockout play-offs. As of now, four teams have secured their places: Bayern Munich, Benfica, Club Brugge, and Feyenoord following matches played on Tuesday.
The tournament format transitions to a bracket system from the knockout phase onward, with matchups for the last 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals determined by teams’ final league standings. Additionally, separate draws will be held for the quarter-finals and semi-finals to establish home and away matches.
Liverpool (1st seed)
Round of 16: Potential opponents include PSG (15th), Benfica (16th), or Brest (18th).
Arsenal (3rd seed)
Round of 16: The Gunners could face PSV (14th), Feyenoord (19th), or Juventus (20th).
Aston Villa (8th seed)
Round of 16: They may match up against Borussia Dortmund (10th), Sporting (23rd), or Club Brugge (24th).
Manchester City (22nd seed)
Knockout play-offs: They are competing against Real Madrid (12th).
Round of 16: Potential matchups include Atletico Madrid (5th) or Bayer Leverkusen (6th).
First legs
On February 11: Brest faced PSG, resulting in a 0-3 outcome; Juventus edged PSV Eindhoven 2-1; Manchester City fell to Real Madrid at 2-3; and Borussia Dortmund triumphed over Sporting Lisbon with a 3-0 score.
On February 12: Club Brugge claimed victory over Atalanta with a score of 2-1, Celtic lost to Bayern Munich 1-2, Feyenoord bested AC Milan 1-0, and Benfica overcame Monaco 1-0.
Second legs
February 18 results: AC Milan drew with Feyenoord 1-1 (aggregate 1-2), Atalanta lost to Club Brugge 1-3 (aggregate 2-5), Bayern Munich held Celtic to a 1-1 draw (aggregate 3-2), and Benfica squared off against Monaco ending in a 3-3 draw (aggregate 4-3).
Upcoming matches on February 19 include: Borussia Dortmund facing Sporting Lisbon at 5.45pm; PSG going against Brest at 8pm; PSV Eindhoven clashing with Juventus at 8pm; and Real Madrid meeting Manchester City at 8pm.
Understanding the Champions League last-16 draw process
The draw mechanism involves pairing of the top eight clubs according to their finishing positions at the end of the league phase. This creates four seeded matchups: 1st with 2nd, 3rd with 4th, 5th with 6th, and 7th with 8th.
During the draw, each seeded pair is linked to its respective winner from the knockout play-offs based on predefined positions established during the play-off draw.
Four bowls facilitate the draw process, with balls bearing the names of the seeded teams placed accordingly. The teams will populate their respective brackets, starting from the lower-ranking pairs and advancing to the top seeds.
As teams are drawn, a ball is selected from the relevant bowl, revealing the first team, which is then allocated their spot on the bracket. This is followed by drawing the second team and placing them in their designated position on the opposite side of the bracket.
Key dates to note include the last 16, scheduled for March 4/5 and March 11/12; quarter-finals on April 8/9 and April 15/16; semi-finals on April 29/30 and May 6/7; and the grand final taking place on May 31 at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena.
Source
www.skysports.com