The Champions League faces a crucial stage as former champions battle for their title hopes, prestige, and prize money. At least four previous European champions are at risk of elimination as the knockout playoff round concludes this week. Teams like Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Celtic, AC Milan, Feyenoord, PSV Eindhoven, and Juventus face the possibility of ending their European campaigns early.
Advancing to the round of 16 is crucial not only for the glory but also for the financial rewards, with a prize of 11 million euros awaiting the successful teams. Despite the talent and resources at play, the road to the final in Munich is long and challenging, with 37 games remaining.
Notable matchups include Real Madrid vs. Manchester City, a clash that has produced thrilling encounters in the past. Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund hold leads from the first leg as they aim to secure their spots in the next round. Italian clubs face a tense week, with Juventus, AC Milan, and Atalanta fighting to overturn deficits in their second-leg matches.
The Champions League landscape is dominated by teams from the wealthiest leagues in western Europe, highlighting the financial disparity in the competition. With no teams from eastern Europe advancing to the knockout stage, the powerhouses from England, Italy, Spain, Germany, and France continue to assert their dominance in the tournament.
The upcoming round of 16 draw for the competition will take place at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, on Friday at midday local time (1100 GMT). The remaining playoff teams will be paired off in this draw. The eight playoff winners will not be seeded and will play the first leg at home against the seeded teams that finished in the top eight of the league phase standings consisting of 36 teams. The first-leg matches are scheduled for March 4-5, with the return games set for a week later. Unlike in previous seasons, there will be no separate draw for the quarterfinals and semifinals as the seeded bracket has already been determined up to the final.
The seedings for the upcoming draw are as follows: 1. Liverpool, 2. Barcelona, 3. Arsenal, 4. Inter Milan, 5. Atletico Madrid, 6. Bayer Leverkusen, 7. Lille, 8. Aston Villa. Liverpool and Barcelona will be drawn against the winners of the playoff matches involving the 15th and 16th seeds, PSG and Benfica. Real Madrid, which placed 11th in the league standings, will have the winner of its playoff with Man City face either Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen, who finished in fifth and sixth place respectively.
The Netherlands and Portugal, ranked sixth and seventh respectively, are in a good position to have at least one team progress further in the competition. However, the lowest-ranked country still in the running, Scotland (ranked 14th), is likely to see Celtic being eliminated by Bayern.
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