ISTANBUL
The UEFA Champions League knockout phase playoff draw took place on Friday at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
In the restructured format, Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille, and Aston Villa, who were in the top eight after eight matches in the league phase, advanced directly to the Round of 16.
The teams that finished between 9th and 16th in the Champions League standings have been seeded and drawn against unseeded teams that finished between 17th and 24th in the table for the playoff stage.
Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, AC Milan, PSV Eindhoven, Paris Saint-Germain, Benfica, Monaco, Brest, Feyenoord, Juventus, Celtic, Manchester City, Sporting Lisbon, and Club Brugge, who finished between 9th and 24th in the points table, qualified for the playoff stage.
The Champions League playoffs will be held over two legs, taking place on the weekdays of Feb. 11-12 and Feb. 18-19.
Manchester City will host defending champions Real Madrid on either Feb. 11 or 12, with the second leg taking place in Madrid on Feb. 18 or 19.
The exact dates for both matches will be confirmed in due course.
Playoff fixtures:
Club Brugge – Atalanta
Sporting CP - Borussia Dortmund
Manchester City - Real Madrid
Celtic - Bayern Munich
Juventus - PSV
Feyenoord - AC Milan
Brest - Paris Saint-Germain
Monaco - Benfica
