The Champions League knockout phase play-offs are set to kick off this week, with 16 teams battling for a spot in the last 16, where eight clubs have already secured automatic progression.
Among those looking to earn their place are Manchester City and Celtic, who are set to take on European giants Real Madrid and Bayern Munich respectively.
Manchester City made a dramatic comeback against Club Brugge to secure a spot in the play-offs. In addition, Aston Villa, Arsenal, and long-time qualifiers Liverpool have already progressed automatically to the last 16.
Notably, all five British teams successfully advanced from the league phase, with Celtic joining City in the play-offs after a 4-2 loss to Aston Villa in their final league game.
Teams Through to the Last 16:
Liverpool
Barcelona
Arsenal
Inter Milan
Atletico Madrid
Bayer Leverkusen
Lille
Aston Villa
Teams in the Knockout Phase Play-Offs:
Atalanta
Borussia Dortmund
Real Madrid
Bayern Munich
AC Milan
PSV Eindhoven
Paris St-Germain
Benfica
Monaco
Brest
Feyenoord
Juventus
Celtic
Manchester City
Sporting
Club Brugge
Play-Off Round Draw
The full draw for the play-off round is as follows:
Brest vs Paris St-Germain
First leg: 11 February, Second leg: 19 February
Juventus vs PSV Eindhoven
First leg: 11 February, Second leg: 19 February
Manchester City vs Real Madrid
First leg: 11 February, Second leg: 19 February
Sporting vs Borussia Dortmund
First leg: 11 February, Second leg: 19 February
Club Brugge vs Atalanta
First leg: 12 February, Second leg: 18 February
Celtic vs Bayern Munich
First leg: 12 February, Second leg: 18 February
Feyenoord vs AC Milan
First leg: 12 February, Second leg: 18 February
Monaco vs Benfica
First leg: 12 February, Second leg: 18 February
The last 16 draw, scheduled for 21 February, will reveal the next round fixtures. Some initial expectations include:
Liverpool and Barcelona, having finished as the top two teams in the league phase, cannot meet until later rounds. Liverpool is expected to face one of Monaco, Brest, PSG, or Benfica, with Barcelona potentially facing one of the same.
Arsenal, who finished third, could meet Feyenoord, Juventus, AC Milan, or PSV Eindhoven.
Aston Villa, now among the top eight after beating Celtic, might face Sporting, Club Brugge, Atalanta, or Borussia Dortmund.
These ties are slated to take place on 4-5 March and 11-12 March.
Looking ahead, there is a chance that British clubs could clash in later rounds:
Liverpool and Aston Villa might meet in the quarter-finals if they both progress.
Arsenal could potentially face Celtic or Manchester City in the quarters.
There remains a possibility of further British showdowns in the semi-finals or even the final, though the exact match-ups will depend on the outcomes of the last 16 draw.
