When are UEFA Champions League play-off and last-16 draws? How to watch in UK? Who could Man City and Celtic draw?
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Published 30/01/2025 at 14:41 GMT
Manchester City and Celtic will learn their opponents in the UEFA Champions League play-off round draw. City edged into the play-offs with victory over Club Brugge, while Celtic advanced despite losing to Aston Villa in their final game. When is the play-off draw? How does it work? What about the last-16 ties? And how to watch in the UK on TNT Sports and discovery+?
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The league phase of the UEFA Champions League is complete and it will soon be time for the draw for the play-off rounds.
Manchester City squeaked into the play-offs with victory over Club Brugge in their last game, and they will be joined by several big-hitters, including Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Juventus.
Celtic, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain will also be in the play-off draw.
When is the play-off round draw? When is the last-16 draw? How do the draws work? And how can you watch in the UK?
When is the Champions League play-off draw?
The draw for the play-off round of the UEFA Champions League will take place on Friday, January 31 at 11:00 UK time. It will be held in Nyon, Switzerland.
The two-legged ties will be played over two weeks, with the first legs on February 11 and 12 before the second legs on February 18 and 19.
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What are the seedings? Who makes play-offs? CL knockout format explained
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How to watch Champions League play-off draw in the UK
The Champions League play-off draw will be live in the UK on TNT Sports 2 and discovery+.
It will also be streamed live on TNT Sports YouTube channel.
TNT Sports is available across all major TV platforms, offering a line-up of up to four TV channels (TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports 2, TNT Sports 3, TNT Sports 4), and up to six digital or red-button channels (TNT Sports 5 to 10), and TNT Sports Ultimate plus TNT Sports Box Office HD.
You can subscribe to TNT Sports through discovery+, BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.
Who is in the play-off draw?
The teams that finished the league phase of the Champions League between ninth and 16th are seeded for the draw and will face a team placed between 17th to 24th. The seeded team will play the return leg at home.
The seeded teams are:
9. Atalanta (ITA) 10. Borussia Dortmund (GER) 11. Real Madrid (ESP) 12. Bayern Munich (GER) 13. AC Milan (ITA) 14. PSV (NED) 15. Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) 16. Benfica (POR)
The unseeded teams are:
17. Monaco (FRA) 18. Brest (FRA) 19. Feyenoord (NED) 20. Juventus (ITA) 21. Celtic (SCO) 22. Manchester City (ENG) 23. Sporting CP (POR) 24. Club Brugge (BEL)
Unlike a traditional UEFA knockout draw – where any seed can meet any unseeded team – the Champions League now adopts a bracket format from the play-off stage onwards. There is still a draw, but potential opponents are reduced to two options.
For example, teams finishing ninth and 10th can only be drawn against teams finishing 23rd and 24th; teams finishing 11th and 12th can only be drawn against teams finishing 21st and 22nd; and so on.
Manchester City and Celtic have the same two possible opponents in the play-offs after finishing 22nd and 21st respectively: either 15-time winners Real Madrid or Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich after they finished 11th and 12th.
What about Liverpool, Arsenal and Aston Villa?
The top eight sides, including Liverpool, Arsenal and Aston Villa, will not find out their opponents until the last 16 draw on February 21, but the new bracket format means they have four possible opponents.
Liverpool finished top of the league phase standings and know they will next face one of Monaco, Brest, Paris Saint-Germain or Benfica.
Arsenal ended their league phase campaign in third, and will take on one of Feyenoord, Juventus, AC Milan or PSV Eindhoven when their campaign resumes.
Aston Villa secured their spot in the top eight with a 4-2 win over Celtic, and will now face Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund, Sporting Lisbon or Club Brugge in the last 16.
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Can teams from the same country face each other?
Yes, sides can face another team from the same national association from the knockout phase play-offs onwards. They can also face teams they played during the league phase.
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