With the Champions League group stages now wrapped up, attention turns to the knockout stages – and the round of 16 will look a little different this time around.
Uefa confirmed in June that the away goals rule – which has been in place in its competitions since 1965 – would be scrapped, putting an end to the chaotic – and many felt unjust – legislation once designed to encourage visiting teams to attack.
The president of European football’s governing body, Aleksander Ceferin, said of the decision: “Although there was no unanimity of views, many coaches, fans and other football stakeholders have questioned its fairness and have expressed a preference for the rule to be abolished.”
Ceferin added that the rule “now runs counter to its original purpose” as it “dissuades home teams from attacking because they fear conceding a goal”, while suggesting that there was now more “consistency across Europe in terms of style of play” and a “decline in home advantage”.
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It may have gifted fans some of the most dramatic nights in Champions League history – such as Tottenham’s famous 3-2 victory over Ajax in the last minute of the 2019 semi-final – but the abolition of the away goals rule is intended to make the knockout stages not only fairer but a truer reflection of the greatest teams on the continent.
In its absence, ties level after two legs will go to extra time regardless of goals scored home and away. A penalty shootout will then follow.
The remaining 16 teams are now waiting to hear who they will play next, including the four English sides. Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City all progressed by winning their respective groups, while Chelsea finished second in Group H behind Juventus.
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Clubs cannot face teams from their own association – so the four English sides cannot play one another, for example – and cannot play opponents they have already faced in the group stages.
Seeded teams – those who finished top of their group – will be placed into Pot 1, to be drawn against an unseeded team, who finished as a runner-up.
The pots look like this:
Seeded (Group Winners)
- Ajax
- Bayern Munich
- Juventus
- Liverpool
- LOSC Lille
- Manchester City
- Manchester United
- Real Madrid
Unseeded (Runners-up)
- Atletico Madrid
- Benfica
- Chelsea
- Inter Milan
- Paris Saint-Germain
- Salzburg
- Sporting CP
- Atalanta OR Villarreal (Match postponed due to snow, to be played on Thursday, 9 December)
Champions League draw details
- Date: Monday 13 December
- Time: 11am GMT
- Where: Nyon, Switzerland
- TV channel/Stream: BT Sport. You can also stream the draw on the BT Sport app, or on Uefa’s website
The Europa League and Conference League draws will follow immediately afterwards.
When are the knockout stages?
First legs will take place across 15-16 and 22-23 February. The second legs will follow on 8-9 and 15-16 March, with kick-offs at 8pm GMT.
Once the round of 16 has been completed, the draw for the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final (all of which will be mapped out at once) is scheduled for Friday 18 March.
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Best and worst case scenarios
Here’s who each English side could play:
MANCHESTER UNITED: Atletico Madrid, Benfica, Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Salzburg, Sporting CP
- Best case scenario: A reunion with Cristiano Ronaldo’s former club, Sporting CP, who are their lowest-ranked potential opponents according to Uefa’s coefficients.
- Worst case scenario: Another meeting with PSG (even if it gives them the chance to keep a longing eye on Mauricio Pochettino) after the Ligue 1 side beat them 3-1 when they met at Old Trafford a year ago.
CHELSEA: Ajax, Bayern Munich, LOSC Lille, Real Madrid
- Best case scenario: Lille would be a lucky escape given that the holders have made things difficult for themselves by failing to win the group.
- Worst case scenario: Bayern Munich, who rounded off the group stages by thrashing Barcelona, and are ranked second in Uefa’s coefficients, or Real Madrid, La Liga’s runaway leaders.
LIVERPOOL: Benfica, Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Salzburg, Sporting CP, Atalanta OR Villarreal
- Best case scenario: Villarreal and Atalanta are the lowest-ranked remaining teams.
- Worst case scenario: PSG or Inter Milan.
MANCHESTER CITY: Atletico Madrid, Benfica, Inter Milan, Salzburg, Sporting CP, Atalanta OR Villarreal
- Best case scenario: Atalanta or Villarreal, Sporting CP or Salzburg.
- Worst case scenario: Atletico Madrid.
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