How the new Champions League knockout phase play-offs work as Man City scrape through
The new-look 36-team Champions League has finally reached the end of the League Phase. The inaugural edition of the revamped competition saw an exciting conclusion as all teams kicked off at the same time, and there was plenty on the line. Manchester City are the only English team not to automatically qualify for the last 16Getty Liverpool finished top of the table despite a 3-2 defeat to PSV Eindhoven. Arsenal and Aston Villa also made it through to the last-16 after beating Girona and Celtic, respectively. For Manchester City, they have a different path after making it into the play-offs, just. A 3-1 win over Club Brugge at the Etihad ensured that City finished 22nd. That means they will have to take part in the play-offs, and they are going to face Bayern Munich or Real Madrid… How do the knockout phase play-offs work? As a result of the Champions League expansion, teams that finish in the top eight of the table will automatically qualify for the last-16. Clubs that end from ninth to 24th can still reach the knockouts but via successfully winning a two-legged play-off. From the play-offs onwards, the Champions League format evolves from a table to a bracket. The teams that finish between 9th and 16th after the League Phase will be seeded for the draw and have the return leg at home. They will play a side that ended between 17th and 24th – with teams finishing ninth and tenth facing the club that ended 23rd or 24th. The eight victorious play-off winners will complete the Champions League last-16, with the losers being eliminated altogether. Top-eight: Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille, Aston Villa Play-offs seeded: Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, AC Milan, PSV Eindhoven, Paris Saint-Germain, Benfica Play-offs unseeded: Monaco, Brest, Feyenoord, Juventus, Celtic, Manchester City, Sporting Lisbon, Club Brugge Eliminated: Bologna, Sparta Prague, Leipzig, Girona, Red Star Belgrade, Sturm Graz, Salzburg, Slovan Bratislava, Young Boys, Dinamo Zagreb, Stuttgart, Shakhtar Donetsk The Champions League trophy is one of the only things that remains the same about this premier competitionGetty Champions League table PosClubMPWDLGDPts1Liverpool870112212Barcelona861115193Arsenal861113194Inter861110195Atletico Madrid86028186Leverkusen85128167LOSC85127168Aston Villa85127169Atalanta8431141510Dortmund8503101511Real Madrid850381512Bayern850381513Milan850331514PSV842241415PSG841351316Benfica841341317Monaco841301318Brest8413-11319Feyenoord8413-31320Juventus833221221Celtic8332-11222Man City832341123Sporting832311124Club Brugge8323-41125Dinamo Zagreb8323-71126VfB Stuttgart8314-41027Shakhtar Donetsk8215-8728Bologna8134-5629Crvena zvezda8206-9630SK Strum Graz8206-9631Sparta Praha8116-14432RB Leipzig8107-7333Girona8107-8334RB Salzburg8107-22335Slovan Bratislava8008-20036Young Boys8008-210Top 8 automatically through to last 169 to 24 entered into play-off25 to 36 eliminated Man City now face an incredibly tough drawGetty Champions League gameweek eight results Here, are the full results from matchday eight… Aston Villa 4-2 Celtic Barcelona 2-2 Atalanta Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 Sparta Prague Bayern Munich 3-1 Slovan Bratislava Borussia Dortmund 3-1 Shakhtar Donetsk Brest 0-3 Real Madrid Dinamo Zagreb 2-1 AC Milan Girona 1-2 Arsenal Inter Milan 3-0 Monaco Juventus 0-2 Benfica Lille 6-1 Feyenoord Man City 3-1 Brugge PSV 3-2 Liverpool RB Salzburg 1-4 Atletico Madrid Sporting Lisbon 1-1 Bologna Sturm Graz 1-0 RB Leipzig Stuttgart 1-4 PSG Young Boys 0-1 Red Star Belgrade
The new-look 36-team Champions League has finally reached the end of the League Phase.
The inaugural edition of the revamped competition saw an exciting conclusion as all teams kicked off at the same time, and there was plenty on the line.
Liverpool finished top of the table despite a 3-2 defeat to PSV Eindhoven.
Arsenal and Aston Villa also made it through to the last-16 after beating Girona and Celtic, respectively.
For Manchester City, they have a different path after making it into the play-offs, just.
A 3-1 win over Club Brugge at the Etihad ensured that City finished 22nd.
That means they will have to take part in the play-offs, and they are going to face Bayern Munich or Real Madrid…
How do the knockout phase play-offs work?
As a result of the Champions League expansion, teams that finish in the top eight of the table will automatically qualify for the last-16.
Clubs that end from ninth to 24th can still reach the knockouts but via successfully winning a two-legged play-off.
From the play-offs onwards, the Champions League format evolves from a table to a bracket.
The teams that finish between 9th and 16th after the League Phase will be seeded for the draw and have the return leg at home.
They will play a side that ended between 17th and 24th – with teams finishing ninth and tenth facing the club that ended 23rd or 24th.
The eight victorious play-off winners will complete the Champions League last-16, with the losers being eliminated altogether.
- Top-eight: Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille, Aston Villa
- Play-offs seeded: Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, AC Milan, PSV Eindhoven, Paris Saint-Germain, Benfica
- Play-offs unseeded: Monaco, Brest, Feyenoord, Juventus, Celtic, Manchester City, Sporting Lisbon, Club Brugge
- Eliminated: Bologna, Sparta Prague, Leipzig, Girona, Red Star Belgrade, Sturm Graz, Salzburg, Slovan Bratislava, Young Boys, Dinamo Zagreb, Stuttgart, Shakhtar Donetsk
Champions League table
| Pos | Club | MP | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Liverpool | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 21 |
| 2 | Barcelona | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 19 |
| 3 | Arsenal | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 19 |
| 4 | Inter | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 19 |
| 5 | Atletico Madrid | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 18 |
| 6 | Leverkusen | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 16 |
| 7 | LOSC | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 16 |
| 8 | Aston Villa | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 16 |
| 9 | Atalanta | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 15 |
| 10 | Dortmund | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 15 |
| 11 | Real Madrid | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 15 |
| 12 | Bayern | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 15 |
| 13 | Milan | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 15 |
| 14 | PSV | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 14 |
| 15 | PSG | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 13 |
| 16 | Benfica | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 13 |
| 17 | Monaco | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| 18 | Brest | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | -1 | 13 |
| 19 | Feyenoord | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | -3 | 13 |
| 20 | Juventus | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 12 |
| 21 | Celtic | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | -1 | 12 |
| 22 | Man City | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 11 |
| 23 | Sporting | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 11 |
| 24 | Club Brugge | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | -4 | 11 |
| 25 | Dinamo Zagreb | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | -7 | 11 |
| 26 | VfB Stuttgart | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | -4 | 10 |
| 27 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | -8 | 7 |
| 28 | Bologna | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -5 | 6 |
| 29 | Crvena zvezda | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | -9 | 6 |
| 30 | SK Strum Graz | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | -9 | 6 |
| 31 | Sparta Praha | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | -14 | 4 |
| 32 | RB Leipzig | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | -7 | 3 |
| 33 | Girona | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | -8 | 3 |
| 34 | RB Salzburg | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | -22 | 3 |
| 35 | Slovan Bratislava | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | -20 | 0 |
| 36 | Young Boys | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | -21 | 0 |
9 to 24 entered into play-off
25 to 36 eliminated
Champions League gameweek eight results
Here, are the full results from matchday eight…
- Aston Villa 4-2 Celtic
- Barcelona 2-2 Atalanta
- Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 Sparta Prague
- Bayern Munich 3-1 Slovan Bratislava
- Borussia Dortmund 3-1 Shakhtar Donetsk
- Brest 0-3 Real Madrid
- Dinamo Zagreb 2-1 AC Milan
- Girona 1-2 Arsenal
- Inter Milan 3-0 Monaco
- Juventus 0-2 Benfica
- Lille 6-1 Feyenoord
- Man City 3-1 Brugge
- PSV 3-2 Liverpool
- RB Salzburg 1-4 Atletico Madrid
- Sporting Lisbon 1-1 Bologna
- Sturm Graz 1-0 RB Leipzig
- Stuttgart 1-4 PSG
- Young Boys 0-1 Red Star Belgrade
What's Your Reaction?
