"The draw for the knockout playoff round of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League featured some of the biggest clubs in Europe. Now that it's complete, we know who the likes of Real Madrid and defending champions Paris Saint-Germain will be facing with a spot in the round of 16 on the line. But which teams look to have the best path through the knockout rounds? How is the rest of the bracket shaping up?"
"Only the 16 teams that finished ninth through 24th in the league phase will compete in this round. The top eight teams in the league phase advanced directly to the round of 16, and clubs finishing 25th to 36th were eliminated. When is the knockout playoff round? The first legs of each matchup will be held Feb. 17-18. The second legs will be contested the following week, on Feb. 24-25."
"The teams that placed ninth to 16th are listed second, and they will have the advantage of playing at home in the second leg. After the playoff round draw, the teams who finished inside the top eight in the league phase still have four possible opponents in the round of 16. The knockout playoff round will whittle the number of potential opponents to two. But the exact matchups won't be known until the round-of-16 draw."
Sixteen teams that finished ninth through 24th in the league phase will compete in the knockout playoff round. The top eight teams advanced directly to the round of 16, while clubs finishing 25th to 36th were eliminated. The first legs will be held Feb. 17-18 and the second legs on Feb. 24-25. Teams placed ninth to 16th are listed second and will host the second leg. After the playoff round, each top-eight club will have two remaining possible opponents, with the round-of-16 draw on Feb. 27 finalizing exact matchups and the remainder of the bracket. There is no country protection.
Read at ESPN.com
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