The UEFA Champions League 2024-2025 season is set to enter its knockout stages, with the playoff draw determining the path for teams that finished between 9th and 24th place in the league phase. Among the Italian clubs, only Inter Milan secured direct qualification to the round of 16, while AC Milan, Juventus, and Atalanta must navigate through the playoffs to advance.
The draw, which took place at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, has set up some intriguing matchups for the Italian sides:
– Juventus will face PSV Eindhoven
– AC Milan is set to clash with Feyenoord
– Atalanta has been drawn against Club Brugge
These playoff matches are scheduled to take place between February 11th and 19th, with home and away legs determining who progresses to the round of 16.
One of the most eye-catching fixtures of the playoffs sees Manchester City pitted against Real Madrid, a clash of European giants that could have easily been a final in previous years.
The new format of the Champions League, introduced at the beginning of this season, has created a tennis-style bracket for the knockout stages. The draw paired teams based on their final positions in the league phase, with higher-ranked teams generally facing lower-ranked opponents.
Here’s a breakdown of the playoff bracket:
Left Side:
– Brest vs PSG
– Club Brugge vs Atalanta
– Manchester City vs Real Madrid
– Juventus vs PSV Eindhoven
Right Side:
– Monaco vs Benfica
– Sporting CP vs Borussia Dortmund
– Celtic vs Bayern Munich
– Feyenoord vs AC Milan
The winners of these playoff matches will join the top eight teams from the league phase, including Inter Milan, in the round of 16. The draw for the round of 16 is scheduled for February 21st, which will further shape the road to the final in Munich.
