Champions League draw details: Liverpool moves closer to discovering last-16 opponent

Liverpool, Arsenal, and Aston Villa won’t be part of Friday’s Champions League playoff draw, but Manchester City will. We’ve broken down the key details of the complicated setup.

Liverpool is one step closer to discovering its Champions League last-16 opponent on Friday with the playoff draw. Following the conclusion of the league phase on Wednesday, the final standings were confirmed, bringing the knockout rounds into clearer focus. Liverpool now knows it will face one of Paris Saint-Germain, Benfica, Monaco, or Brest in the last 16, but before that, it will first go through the playoff phase.

The top eight teams automatically skip the playoffs and head directly into the last 16. However, teams finishing 9th-24th must first navigate a two-legged fixture. With the draw set for Friday, here’s an overview of the important details.

When is the draw?
The draw for the Champions League playoff round will take place at 11:00 GMT (06:00 ET) on Friday. It will be hosted at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon and will follow the traditional format of drawing balls from a bowl, unlike the knockout phase when fixtures were generated by a computer. For this round, clubs from the same country or teams that have previously faced each other this season can be drawn together, breaking from tradition.

Who’s involved?
The playoff phase will pair teams finishing 9th-16th against those finishing 17th-24th in the league phase. Each team will face one of two possible opponents based on their league finish (for example, 9th vs. 23rd, and 10th vs. 24th). In Liverpool’s section of the draw, Paris Saint-Germain (15th) will be drawn against either Monaco (17th) or Brest (18th), with Benfica (16th) facing the remaining team.

Possible playoff fixtures

• Atalanta or Borussia Dortmund vs. Sporting Lisbon or Club Brugge
• Real Madrid or Bayern Munich vs. Celtic or Manchester City
• AC Milan or PSV Eindhoven vs. Feyenoord or Juventus
• PSG or Benfica vs. Monaco or Brest

How can I watch the draw?
The draw will be streamed live on UEFA’s website and will also be available on TNT Sports in the UK. In the USA, the draw will be streamed live on Paramount+.

When will the top-eight teams return?
The playoff matches will occur on 11/12 and 18/19 February, with the eight winners advancing to the last 16. At that point, the top eight from the league phase will be reintroduced, with a draw on 21 February to determine their opponents.

The top eight teams will face one of the playoff winners, and Liverpool will only be able to meet one of two clubs, while Barcelona, who finished second in the league phase, will be paired with the other team (either PSG, Benfica, Monaco, or Brest).

Once the last 16 draw is made, Liverpool will know its place in the draw and can plan its route to the final, understanding which teams it might face on the way to Munich. The top eight from the league phase are: Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille, and Aston Villa.

Anything else?
The last 16 matches will take place on 4/5 and 11/12 March, and as a seeded team, Liverpool will play the second leg at home.