The brand new-look league section of the Champions League drew to a conclusion on Wednesday evening with 18 matches going down concurrently in a blockbuster night of motion.
Liverpool completed prime of the 36-team desk after incomes seven wins and struggling only one defeat from their eight matches.
Arne Slot’s aspect have been joined by Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille and Aston Villa in ending within the prime eight of the competitors. The highest eight sides secured computerized passage by way of to the spherical of 16, which is scheduled to happen initially of March.
Manchester Metropolis emerged as probably the most relieved sides on Wednesday, with Pep Guardiola’s aspect avoiding changing into one among 12 sides eradicated by coming from behind to earn a 3-1 win over Membership Brugge.
The 2023 Champions League winners superior by way of to the knock-out levels by ending twenty second within the desk, however now face a nightmare path if they’re to win the match for the second time.
Mail Sport explains how the knock-out stage is about to form up forward of the draw going down on Friday.
Man Metropolis boss Pep Guardiola is going through a frightening play-off within the Champions League
The Premier League champions must face both Actual Madrid or Bayern Munich
How does the brand new knock-out stage work?
When revamping the format by scrapping the group levels in favour of single league section, UEFA additionally wanted to tweak the knock-out levels of the match.
Whereas eight groups routinely booked spots within the last-16, the groups ranked between ninth and twenty fourth have to compete in a further play-off spherical to seal their locations.
UEFA final 12 months opted to undertake a tennis-style seeding for the knockout levels – after the governing physique labored out it could take ‘three or 4 hours’ to stage the draw manually underneath the competitors’s new format.
UEFA estimated the Champions League draw alone might final ‘three or 4 hours’ and have round 900 balls had it been carried out in the identical fashion as earlier than.
The place groups completed within the desk finally fashioned the competitors bracket, with groups incomes seedings for the knock-out stage based mostly on their place.
Groups have been paired collectively, with Liverpool and Barcelona incomes the highest two seedings after ending first and second. It means the one approach the groups can meet within the competitors this 12 months is that if they each advance to the ultimate in Munich.
Equally they’ll solely face Arsenal and Inter Milan – who completed third and fourth respectively – on the semi-final stage.
The highest eight sides, having earned a seeding, will likely be drawn in opposition to the winners of the play-off spherical ties within the last-16.
Manchester Metropolis are unseeded within the play-off draw and have been paired with Celtic
UEFA have confirmed the seedings for the play-off draw based mostly on groups’ league positions
Why do Man Metropolis face a nightmare path by way of?
Man Metropolis’s lowly twenty second place end within the desk, whereas being sufficient to make the knock-out stage, has left Guardiola’s aspect being seen as an ‘unseeded’ workforce.
The Residents have been paired within the draw with Celtic, with the Scottish champions having completed in twenty first place.
They are going to be drawn in opposition to both the aspect positioned eleventh or twelfth within the desk, which has turned out to be fellow European giants Actual Madrid, the present holders, and Bayern Munich.
Man Metropolis must wait to see on Friday which of the heavyweights they are going to be drawn in opposition to in a two-legged play-off to battle by way of to succeed in the last-16 of the competitors.
UEFA have confirmed the draw will begin with the unseeded groups being positioned within the bracket, beginning with the edges ranked 23/24 and ending with these in 17/18.
One ball will likely be opened to show the workforce which can see them place on the ‘silver’ aspect of the bracket, as dubbed by UEFA.
Their paired workforce will likely be routinely positioned on the opposite aspect of the draw within the ‘blue’ aspect of the bracket.
After the unseeded groups are positioned, the seeded groups will then been drawn to their reserved spots to find out the attracts.
UEFA have revealed the bracket for the match, based mostly on a tennis-style seeding system
Arne Slot’s Liverpool might face PSG, Benfica, Monaco or Brest within the spherical of 16
The draw will end when the groups ranked 9/10 are positioned for the knockout spherical play-offs, on this case Atalanta and Borussia Dortmund.
The seeded workforce will, in precept, play the return leg at house.
The play-off spherical first legs will happen on February 11 to 12, with the return fixtures held on February 18 and 19.
How would the last-16 search for Premier League sides?
Having been confirmed as one among prime two seeds within the competitors, together with Barcelona, Liverpool know they may face both Monaco, Brest, PSG and Benfica within the spherical of 16.
Arsenal ended the league section in third place and will likely be paired with Inter Milan within the draw, who positioned fourth.
The Gunners will face one among AC Milan, Juventus, PSV or Feyenoord within the last-16 in March.
Having clinched the ultimate computerized spot within the last-16 by ending in eighth, Aston Villa might line-up in opposition to Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund, Sporting Lisbon and Bruges.
Ought to Man Metropolis advance by way of their play-off spherical in opposition to Bayern Munich or Actual Madrid, Guardiola’s aspect can be in line to satisfy both Bayer Leverkusen or Atletico Madrid.
