Champions League Knockout Phase Play-Offs: What to Expect

omidbasir- The 16 teams that have qualified for the Champions League knockout phase play-off draw will discover their opponents this Friday.

The event will commence in Switzerland at 11:00 GMT and will include teams that ranked between ninth and 24th in the league standings.

The top eight teams from the league phase have automatically advanced to the last 16 to prevent a congested match schedule in February.

The first legs of the play-offs are scheduled for either 17 or 18 February, followed by the second legs one week later.

The pairing process is straightforward. Clubs are matched based on their final standings to create seeded and unseeded categories. Teams finishing ninth to 16th are classified as seeded, while those ranked 17th to 24th are unseeded.

In the draw, seeded teams will face unseeded teams; for instance, the 15th and 16th place teams will compete against those finishing 17th and 18th. Seeded teams will host the second legs of their matchups.

Following the play-offs, the eight victorious teams will advance to the last 16, where they will meet the top eight finishers from the league phase. At this stage, the competition shifts to a knockout format, with each tie except for the final played over two legs.

As in the play-offs, the final rankings in the league will determine seeding for the last 16, granting an advantage to the seeded teams, which are those that finished in the top eight. These teams will play the second leg of their matches at home.

This season marks the first time that league standings will influence seeding for the quarter-finals and semi-finals. Teams finishing in the top four will be seeded for the quarter-finals, thereby securing the home advantage for the second leg of their potential quarter-final ties.

The teams that finish first and second in the league will also be seeded for the semi-finals, ensuring they play the second leg of their semi-final match at home, should they advance.

If a seeded team does not progress to the quarter-finals or semi-finals, the team that eliminated them will inherit their seeding position.

The draw to establish the matchups for the last 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final is scheduled for 27 February.

Key dates for the knockout phase are as follows:
– Last 16: 10-11 and 17-18 March
– Quarter-finals: 7-8 and 14-15 April
– Semi-finals: 28-29 April and 5-6 May
– Final: 30 May

We appreciate Richard in Saffron Walden for his inquiry.

This article is part of BBC Sport’s Ask Me Anything team.